Under the Peach Grove
by 6sixteen
Summary: Growing up in south Georgia isn't easy. But neither is falling in love, or going to school, or surviving the apocalypse. In which Daryl and Beth grow up together. Beth/Daryl AU
1. Beth Anne and the Twists of Fate

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 1  
Beth Anne and the Twists of Fate

Will Dixon was not a man of many words. He liked hunting, eating, watching TV, smoking cigarettes, and drinking.

He also liked his two boys very much. 14 year old Merle with his blond hair and his sharp tongue and little Daryl with his mop of brown hair and sharp blue eyes. The three of them were, from an outside standpoint, what the definiton of a redneck family is. Raised off the land and consumed in the horrors of abuse.

One thing that not many would know about old Will Dixon was that he was a family man. He worked everyday of his life from the crack of dawn until it was dark so that he could provide for his boys. He wanted to make sure that they had everything that they needed in order to live a happy and healthy life.

Of course, like most adults, Will enjoyed his drink or two. He had only once lost his temper and smacked his son Daryl so hard that the 8 year old had seen stars. Will had sunk to the ground in front of his son and cried and cried saying that he was sorry over and over again. Merle had stood over him and thrown anything he got his hands on at his father yelling, "Don't ever touch my brother like that again!"

And he didn't.

Daryl had not been raised in a conventional way. Instead of learning how to read he was learning how to use a crossbow. Instead of going to school right away he was kept at home and allowed to watch educational television as a form of learning. Turns out he was a smart kid. Much smarter than the other Dixons in the family. He especially loved to read and Will tried his best to find cheap books.

When Leighanne Dixon died in a fire, taking the house and all of their belongings with her, they were forced to move on.

And now as Daryl and Merle stood in the front of their new home in Claxton, Georgia they realized that it was going to be very different from Atlanta.

"Why we gotta live in bumfuck no where, pa?" Merle asks as he helps drag boxes of their new belongings into the small house. Plastic dishes, cups, and utensils. Everything cheap and easily replaced.

"Watch your mouth, kid," Will said back before saying, "Cause we got to have a new outlook on life. Been living too easy up in Atlanta."

Merle rolled his eyes, "It's cause we poor ain't it."

"Boy, why you talkin' like that," Will demanded. He dropped a cardboard box on the ground in the too small kitchen and turned to 14 year old Merle. His eyes were big and blue full of mischief and defiance.

"Talk like I was taught," He says.

Will simply waved his hand at him, "Get the next box. And stop actin' like white trash. We're better than that."

Daryl stood on the dirt path staring at the new home. It was a shack. That was the only way he could describe it. A shack in a campground surrounded by shacks that looked just like it. The whole place screamed redneck and Daryl wouldn't be surprised if they fit right in.

The windows on the shack were peeling paint and the roof looked like it would collapse at a tap. They definitely were not in the city anymore and Daryl wasn't sure how he was going to fit in.

He caught movement from the house next door and looked over. Out stepped a little girl around his age, maybe a bit older. She was taller than him, but his daddy had told him that girls grew faster so he wasn't surprised.

She had a pile of messy blonde hair situated in a bun atop her much too large head. She turned to look at him. A giant black and blue bruise was wrapped around her eye causing her face to appear puffy and swollen.

She stared at Daryl with her big wide blue eyes and he couldn't help but stare back at her.

The house next door was in almost the same condition, if not worse, and Daryl wondered if she had it rough. From the giant bruise on her face he guessed that her ma or pa beat her something awful. He had seen it before in the faces of classmates at school. The look of uncertainty. A big brick wall wrapped around them to protect them from the outside world. This girl seemed different. She had a welcoming look in her eyes that surprised him.

"Hi," he said hopefully as he looked at the little ray of sunshine next to him.

"No body lived there for ever," she said gesturing towards his new home. Her voice sounded like bells and her accent was almost strange coming from a voice like that.

"Well now we are," Daryl responded.

"I see that," Her face melted into a warm smile. He felt his cheeks turning red under her stare. She had to be the prettiest girl in all of Georgia.

He heard the door to her house fly open and a shrill female voice bellow, "Beth Anne Com'ere!"

The girl didn't spare him another glance. She had jolted and ran back up to her house in a rush.

Daryl watched her go sadly. Wondering if her ma was going to hit her for talking to him. He felt suddenly guilty.

Merle came outside then, closing the door to the screened in porch with a thud.

"Got a lil' crush der, Darylina," He mocked then laughed loudly. He went to the truck and pulled another box off of the bed.

"You gon' help or stare at the lil' bitch's house all day?"

They both heard Will yell from inside, "Watch yer damn mouth, Merle!"

Daryl let himself think that this was going to be an interesting new arrangement.

xxxxXXxxxXXxxxXXxxx

The next time Daryl saw Beth he was sitting in the screened in porch. He was running his new knife, that his dad had gotten him, over a stick of wood making bolts for his crossbow.

"Don't have 'nough money for more," his dad had said, "Not yet atleast." So he had taught Daryl how to make them.

Will was standing outside of the screen porch smoking a cigarette. It had become an unspoken agreement that there would no more smoking inside the house. Not after what had happened with their mother.

"Goin' into town today, boy," Will said looking over to Daryl.

He stopped running the knife over the wooden stick to look at his father.

"Can I come?" he asked excitedly.

Will smiled at him, "Maybe. Don' right think I can leave you two alone for too long. That brother o' yours has a sense of trouble 'bout him these days."

As if on queue Merle came out of the house and stepped into the small porched in area.

"I want to go huntin'," the blonde boy stated peering down at Daryl and his bolts.

"Well shit Darylina looks like you're gettin' good at that!" Merle said grabbed a finished bolt from off of the porch floor.

"Don't!" Daryl protested reaching for his bolt from his brother, who simply side stepped and continued to admire the freshly made bolt.

"Think I'll be keepin' this one," Merle said with a nasty grin. Daryl made a noise close to a whine or growl.

Before the two could get into a full blown fist fight Will was barking, "Hey! Merle I tol' you that you gotta make your own. Ain't lettin' you do shit the easy way no more. No need to bully Daryl for things," He took a drag of the cigarette then as an after thought said, "And watch your damn mouth, boy!"

Merle smiled wickedly, took the bolt in both hands and snapped it in half. Daryl watched with wide sad blue eyes.

"Why'd you do that?" Daryl asked angrily.

"Felt like it's all," Merle resplied with his angry smile.

The door to the house beside them swung open and out came little Beth Anne. Her hair was down today, only it was so knotted and unruly that she looked like it had gotten stuck in a cieling fan.

"Don't you come back to this damn house 'till that thing is gone, ya hear?" A woman yelled before the door to the home slammed closed. Will, Merle, and Daryl all watched with interest as small Beth Anne walked down the front porch an oversized orange cat in her arms.

She looked over at the Dixons and smiled.

"Y'all want a cat?" She asked brightly.

Will dropped his cigarette and crushed it to the ground. He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Don't have nothin' for a cat," He said empathetically as if that was enough to get her to stop asking. But it wasn't. If little Beth Anne was anything, she was stubborn.

She stepped forward and looked into the porch to Daryl.

"Please!" She begged looking at the 8 year old boy. Merle snorted, "Don't want yer damn cat, girl."

"Merle Dixon!" Will yelled looking at his son, "You watch that mouth, how many times I gotta tell you."

"Careful," Beth said looking to Merle, "Don't want a beatin'."

All three of them looked to Beth Anne in shock. She didn't seem to think that she had said anything wrong. Will finally examined the small child in front of him. She had a nasty black eye and a bruise forming on the opposite cheek. There were bruises on her upper arms where she had been grabbed and dragged and pulled. Her feet were bare and her clothes were ripped and ruined.

Will felt his heart break.

"Please take the cat mister," She said desperately, "My mama don't like cats. But I can't leave it out to die. I found it at the Mister Mark's office up front. He says somebody left it in the box outside and I says I would take care of it. I'm no liar, please take her, please!" Beth Anne was begging and the cat was fast asleep in her arms almost slipping out. It was a fat cat and Will worried that if he took it in that it would eat more than a normal cat eats.

"Been taken care of real well," Will said stepping forward and taking the cat from Beth Anne before her arms gave out.

He looked the fat cat over and then Daryl was coming out of the screened porch. He reached his hand out and pet the orange cat gently. It began to purr in Will's arms.

"He's real sweet," Daryl said with a toothy grin. Merle snorted from behind them, "We can keep 'er then when he got no food in the winter we can kill it and cook it up."

Will knew his son was only joking but he cast a warning look at him. Beth Anne seemed to be convinced that he was tellin' the truth. She stepped forward and tried to pry the cat away.

"No, No," Will said gently pushing her arms down, "We ain't gonna eat the cat. Merle's got a tongue on him these days." The door to the house slammed closed and Will knew that Merle had finally gone to fume in his room.

"We can keep 'em right dad?" Daryl asked with a smile looking up to his father with pleading blue eyes. Beth Anne had the same look on her face from where she stood behind Daryl. Will rolled his eyes and shrugged, "Yeah we will keep her. But we are gonn' have to get cat food." He looked down at Beth Anne and asked, "You know what cat's need?" She nodded feverently.

Will nodded, "Alright. Daryl grab this young lady a pair of shoes to borrow. She can come into town with us." He looked up to her house hesitantly. As if she read his mind Beth Anne chirped, "Mama won't notice I'm gone! I promise!"

When Daryl came back outside he had a small pair of Chuck Taylor's in his hand. One shoelace was black and the other white. He handed them to Beth Anne.

"Why they have two different shoe laces?" She asked confused. Daryl blushed a little and said, "My new pair has a white one and a black one. I liked both and couldn't decide which laces to use. So I used both."

Beth Anne smiled wide at Daryl and said, "I like that."

Will had a funny feeling that these two were going to get married some day. He smiled wide at the thought and ushered them to the pick up truck. "To town we go!" He said. Daryl and Beth Anne laughed behind him.

XXXxxxxXXXxxxxXXXxxxXXX

All summer Daryl and Beth Anne played in the peach grove near the edge of the park. Beth Anne would run around with her hair flying in blond waves behind her and Daryl would chase. He always caught her and they always fell to the ground in a puff of dust with laughter on their lips.

Beth Anne only seemed to eat when she was in the Dixon household. So Will made sure that when she came walking in every morning that there was an extra plate of food waiting for her.

"You're real nice Mister Dixon," She said happily as she would shove food into her mouth.

The summer passed uneventfully. The worst of it being when Beth Anne's mother had come crashing into the Dixon house screaming about her missing earring. Will tried to calm the woman down and get her to leave but she refused until her hands were on Beth Anne's hair and she was dragging the child out of the house.

Will wondered why nothing was getting done to help the poor girl. He had called the sheriff in town and the man only said, "Nothing we can do, sorry," Before hanging up on him. He wasn't sure what else he could do to help little Beth Anne other than simply keeping their front door open all summer, day and night, so she could come in and find refuge.

Summer had ended and school was going to begin again. Beth Anne had told Daryl that she was homeschooled so she wouldn't be seeing him at the elementary school. Daryl was sad at that but the idea of being in a new place where he wasn't known as the 'youngest Dixon' was going to be too great to not be excited about. Beth Anne only smiled when Daryl told her that he wished she could be there with him.

"My mama told me that life ain't fair sometimes," She said and shrugged. Daryl thought that that was awful smart coming from a 6 year old.

Will got to know Missy Shay more and more as the time passed. When school started again he picked up extra shifts at the mechanic shop in town and he would often see the dirty woman walking past the shop during the day. He asked one of his fellow mechanics what she was about and they simply said, "meth." Will felt sad at the thought.

Missy could be nice sometimes. Will had seen her once teaching Beth Anne to weed the garden outside one day. They were on their knees next to each other and Will could see the affection that the young mother held for her daughter. It made Will wonder how the same woman sitting outside in the garden with her daughter was the same lady that smoked meth and beat her daughter.

Will also began to notice that little Beth Anne held an air of maturity that most children don't have. She always had something clever to say and more often than not it started as, "My mama told me." Will wondered again and again about that woman but he never got around to trying to find out.

One day Daryl and Beth Anne were sitting in the peach grove. Their feet bare and Daryl's homework was sitting around them in piles of lined paper and math equations. Beth Anne was laying back and Daryl was laying beside her. They were staring up through the peach trees.

"You think theres a god up there?" Beth Anne asked as the sun came in and out of the branches.

Daryl shrugged, "If there is I wonder what he's doin'. Too busy for people like us I guess."

Beth turned her head to look at him, "Are we gonna be friends forever?" She asked.

"Yeah. Forever."

"Then I think he was looking out for us," She said sweetly, "He brought us together didn't he?"

Daryl was tempted to tell her that it was only a coincidence that they two had met and ended up being neighbors. But the sweet smile on her face made him bite his tongue. "Yeah," He said simply, "Guess he did."

"When we're older will you marry me, Daryl?" Beth Anne asked

Daryl turned bright red at that, "Should I be the one to ask?"

"Oh yeah," She said thoughtfully and returned her eyes to the peach trees.

"I'll marry you... someday," Daryl said softly in a chocked whisper. Beth Anne looked over at him and gave a bit smile her large blue eyes shining.

"I wish someday would come soon," Beth Anne said softly.

Daryl couldn't help but agree with her.

* * *

yay! New story!

I really love this idea of meeting before the apocolypse so I'm super excited to be working on this story.

Let me know what you think!


	2. Plastic Houses and Pepper the Cat

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 2  
Plastic Houses and Pepper the Cat

Daryl was officially 10 years old today. It was mid June and he was sitting on the front porch opening the gift that his father surprised him with. He wasn't sure where Merle was. The now 16 year old boy seemed to disappear regularly with no word as to where he was going. Will seemed to think that he was going through a rebellious streak. He often reassured Daryl that it would pass and that soon enough Merle would be his best friend once again. But somedays the older man wasn't so sure.

Beth Anne hadn't come out of her house yet today and Daryl was waiting excitedly to show his friend the new pack of bolts that his dad had bought him for his birthday.

"I thought we didn' have 'nough money for this?" Daryl asked with wide eyes as he held up the plastic tube of bolts with green feathers sticking off of the ends of them. Will simply shrugged at the boy. "I saved some up special," Will said with a smile. Daryl thought that his dad was the greatest man in the world at that moment.

The door to Beth Anne's house flew open and she came out, her blond hair tied in a ponytail that was lopsided and falling apart as if someone had been tugging on it. The bruises on her face were not as bad as they have been in the past. She hadn't had a black eye since Daryl had met the girl when he moved in two years ago.

Their home was almost unrecognizable now. It was clean and they had gotten permission to repaint the outside and to fix up the wood and the roof. It now didn't look like it was going to fall apart during a strong wind storm. Daryl had picked out the color for the outside. Forest Green. Because the forest was his favorite place to be.

Beth Anne came up the porch steps and stepped into the closed in porch. "Happy birthday, Daryl!" She hollered and threw her arms around the boy in a dramatic way. Will smirked at the two of them and then stepped out of the porch to light a cigarette.

"Dad," Daryl called after Beth Anne had released him from the bone crushing hug, "When am I gonna be old enough to smoke?" Will nearly fell over at the question, "Never." He said simply before smirking and turning away. Daryl scowled at that.

Beth Anne shook her head, "Mama told me that smokin' is bad. She makes sure to kick me out of the house whenever she wants to smoke."

Daryl raised his eyebrows and said, "Dad don't smoke in the house no more."

There was a silence and Beth Anne, who seemed to be unaware of the heaviness of the statement said, "Do you wanna go play in the peach grove today? I want to give you you're present!"

"Didn't have to get me nothin'," Daryl said sheepishly. A hint of pink was growing on his tanned cheeks. Beth Anne simply beamed at him.

Will finished his cigarette and flicked it into the bucket that they use as an ashtray. He came into the screened porch and let the door slam behind him. "Gotta go into town today," He said to the two, "You go play in the Peach Grove. Take Pepper with you while you're at it. Cat's gettin' fat, again." He gestured towards the clump of orange fur that was sleeping vicariously on the edge of the porch. Daryl smirked at the cat lovingly.

Daryl had wanted to name it Blaze because she was as orange as a fire. Beth had insisted on Professor Lady because all Professors were smart and she groomed herself so often that she was obviously a lady. Merle simply called the cat Fat Ass and Will was the one who had decided on Pepper.

"Like Pepper Pots," He had said to the three children, "From Iron Man." They all looked at him with tilted heads. "Shit I ain't been raisin' you right." So after that the cat was named Pepper and Will started to buy editions of the Iron Man comic book whenever he came across them.

"Pepper is always welcome!" Beth Anne said as she went over to the fat cat. She lifted it from its sleeping spot and held it just as she had held it when she gave it to them two years ago. It was falling over her arms in rolls of fur and fat. She looked so tiny while holding the large animal. "She's so good. She never runs away or nothin'," Beth admired. Daryl nodded his head. "I took her huntin' with me and dad and she caught her own food and everythin'!" Beth Anne smiled even wider at that.

So when Will got in his truck to go into town Beth and Daryl took off for the peach grove that was on the property. They passed RVs that were parked on the dirt paths and some old ladies and men waved at them happily as they passed.

"It's gettin' busy," Daryl mentioned as they passed a large family all eating on a picnic table outside their rented home. Beth Anne shrugged, "Gets like this every summer."

They walked to the end of the park and headed towards the rows of peach trees. Beth Anne found a spot that she found suitable and bent over to crawl under the growth of trees. Her head scraping against the leaves and twigs above her. Daryl mimicked her movement and crawled in after her.

The sun was bright through the leaves and Daryl admired, as he often did, how blonde Beth Anne's hair was when she was sitting under the sun.

She pulled a square brown package from her sleeve and handed it over to Daryl with a smile.

"Thought you would like this. I heard Merle call you a loser because you like to read," She said simply. Daryl took the package and ripped off the brown paper. Inside was a blue book with the words '_The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'_ etched in silvery writing on the top of the cover. Daryl looked up at Beth Anne and said, "Thank you." She smiled widely. He opened it, inside was the library stamp, "Claxton Public Library."

"Did you steal it?" Daryl asked with a grin on his face.

Beth Anne raised her eyebrows, "I thought those books were free."

Daryl laughed whole heartedly at that and opened the book to page one. Without hesitating he began reading.

Pepper came through the trees suddenly and plopped down beside Beth Anne. The cat rubbed her head against Beth Anne's knee in a sign of affection.

They sat like that for who knows how long. With Beth Anne rubbing Pepper's head inbetween her ears and humming a song (that Daryl thinks she made up on the spot) while he read.

Beth Anne stopped her humming and said, "Can you... start calling me just Beth now." She didn't look up at him as she asked. She simply continued her petting of Pepper's head.

Daryl dog eared his book and closed it looking up at his companion with raised eyebrows.

"Why?" He asked.

Beth Anne shrugged and said, "Beth Anne is such a ... _baby_ name."

Daryl wasn't sure why she thought that. He knew plenty of people with two names. The woman who worked in the laundry room at the front office was Mary Anne, and the woman that life guarded the pool during the summer was Lori Sue. He thought that it was just something that people did in Southern Georgia.

"It ain't a baby name," He said, "You're mama calls you Beth Anne."

Beth shrugged once again. She was still refusing to look up as she said, "My mama is always gonn' think I'm 'er baby. But... I don' want you to think I'm a baby."

"I don' think that," he reassured.

Beth Anne looked up finally a bit of sadness in her wide blue eyes. "I heard Merle say I was a little baby. Dat you should hang out with people your own age," She drawled in her light voice.

Daryl furrowed his eyebrows and then shook his head, "Forget Merle. 'Es and idiot."

They fell into silence for a moment before Beth Anne said, "Just please. Call me Beth. Just Beth. For me?"

Daryl let out a deep breath and nodded, "Yeah. Course."

A smile erupted across Beth's face and she leaned in to hug Daryl tightly.

When the sun began to set and the light under the peach trees was low, they decided to leave. They crawled out one after the other with Pepper following behind. She meowed loudly and Beth looked down and said, "We gon' eat soon. Don' you worry."

They went back to the Dixon household where Will was standing in front of the porch with a cigarrete in his mouth almost like he never left that spot.

"Had a good birthday?" Will asked with a wide smile to his son. Daryl nodded feverently and then ran up to show his dad the book that Beth had gotten him.

"Tha's a classic," Will said pointing to the blue book in Daryl's hands, "Real good read, son."

Beth made a squeeking noise and the two Dixons turned to look at her.

"What is this?" She asked excitedly. There, on the side of the house, was another house. A much smaller, dirtier, plastic log cabin.

Will smiled, "I found it in town today. Sittin' on the street for trash. Thought I would bring it back for y'all."

Beth smiled happily and ran over to examine the brick house.

"Don't go in yet. Spiders," Will warned. Daryl followed Beth and looked at the dirty house.

"Ain't I too old for this?" Daryl asked looking over to his father. Will shook his head, "Ain't never to old to own a house, boy. Even if it's made a plastic."

So as the days of the summer passed Daryl, Beth Anne, and Will Dixon cleaned the plastic wood cabin. Beth would talk excitedly about how they were gonna sit inside all day and read and play house. Daryl would grunt out a response nervously, but smile all the same.

When it was clean and not dangerous to go inside the two did. Beth and Daryl went in through the tiny door and sat down. Pepper squeezed in behind them. They closed the door and looked around the small brown establishment. Daryl thought that soon enough he would be too big to fit inside.

"I want to live in a log cabin like this someday," Beth Anne said dreamily as she looked up at the ceiling, "I want it to be in the middle of the woods near a stream. With flowers everywhere." She nodded, "Yeah that would be nice."

She looked down at Daryl and smiled wide, "You gonna live with me in the log cabin right, Daryl?" She asked.

He nodded and mumbled a, "yeah." Beth smile widened. "We gonna get married someday. Gotta live together."

Daryl nodded once again.

"I like the woods," He said finally, his cheeks turning a light pink.

Beth giggled sweetly.

Will stood by the porch and listened to his son talking to little Beth Anne in the house. He smiled despite himself. They would need each other. They would be the only thing the other has. Will looked down at his shaking hands and shook his head, and it might happen sooner than he would hope for.

xxxxxxxXXXxxxXXXxxxx

When Beth turned 10 she had decided that the log cabin was too big now. Daryl was 12 and Merle, who had just gotten out of juvie last week, was 18. They had left it on the side of the road infront of the camp grounds hoping that someone's daddy would come pick it up just like Daryl's had.

Beth was sitting in her house one day. Daryl was at school and her mama was 'homeschooling.' Which meant that they sit in the dirty living room and watched tv together while Missy would throw out math problems and Beth would answer verbally.

"Mama?" Beth said when a commercial came on to the tv. Missy, with her big brown eyes, turned to look at her daughter.

"Yeah, Kid?" She asked with a bit of a smile playing on her lips.

"What does love feel like?" Beth asked.

"Well Beth Anne," Missy said turning so that she could face the small girl. She reached forward and took Beth's hand and lifted it to her heart.

"You feel it in here," She said as she patted Beth's hand on top of her chest. "You feel it in here and sometimes," She lowered the hand to her stomach, "You feel it in here."

Beth tilted her head and looked at her hand on her mother's stomach. "Like a tummy ache?" Beth asked.

Missy smiled, "Yeah like a tummy ache. But a good tummy ache. One that makes you feel warm."

Beth went quiet as she thought about that. Love made you feel warm. like the sun coming from the peach trees as she laid under them with Daryl at her side.

"It can hurt sometimes too," Missy said pulling her hand away from Beth's. She leaned towards the little side table and pulled out a clear ball with a pipe at the end. Beth watched her mother fill the object and spin it around in her hand.

"It can feel like the world is endin'," She seemed sad at those words, "Sometimes... sometimes they don't love you back. And you wonder why you weren't good 'nough."

Beth watched her mother closely as she held the clear object in thought.

"Am I too young to be in love?" Beth asked.

Missy shook her head, "Nah, never too young to be in love. Could fall in love when you're a baby, could fall in love when you're a hundred years old."

Beth smiled at that. She knew she was in love. She knew that she was in love with Daryl Dixon from the moment she saw him on his front porch the day he moved in all those years ago.

"Why don' you go play outside. See if that damn cat needs some attention," Missy said gently. Beth looked to her mother and her pipe and nodded. She didn't like the stink of that stuff anyways.

She went outside the house and stood on the gravel walkway with her bare feet. She went over to the Dixon's front porch to see Pepper sitting on one of the chairs. The front door was opened and Beth guessed that Merle was back from school.

"Hey!" She called. And sure enough Merle came into view in the front room.

"What you want, girl?" He said looking her over, "Daryl ain't here."

"I know," She said sweetly, "Was wonderin' if I could take Pepper for a walk."

Merle raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Sure... don't ah... lose 'er or anythin'. Break the kid's heart." He seemed embarrassed to be so thoughtful and Beth only smiled at him.

"I won't lose her, promise," she said.

He nodded and turned to walk back into the house.

Beth opened the screened porch door and Pepper, as if knowing she was being invited outside, jumped off the chair and skipped out. Beth went with Pepper to the front office. Mary Anne, the laundry lady, was stepping out of the front doors as they walked up.

"Hello, Mary Anne," Beth said with a smile.

"'Ello, Beth," The woman greeted with a toothy grin. "Should be wearin' shoes, sweetum, gravels hot today."

Beth nodded in agreement but made no move to walk back home and get a pair. When her mama told her to play outside it meant until Beth was tired or she came running outside screaming for her.

Beth went around the front office building, towards the pool. There was a row of white lawn chairs and Beth fell into one of them with a puff. Mr Mark, the owner of the park, walked outside and smiled down at little Beth.

"Bethany Anne Shay!" He hollered, "What a pleasure!" He went up and patted her head gingerly. Beth smiled up at him.

"Having a good day?" He asked with a smile. Beth nodded and he went about his business leaving the girl to sit in silence.

She suddenly got an idea and shot up in the chair. Pepper, who was laying at her feet, jumped in surprise.

"C'mon girl," Beth said to the cat, "We are gonn' go keep Merle company."

They went back to the Dixon cabin which was still opened up. Beth walked up the porch and knocked on the screen door. After a moment, Merle appeared in the doorway.

"Whatcha want now?" He asked placing his hands in his pockets. He had a grumpy look on his face as he looked at her.

"Was gonn' see if you wanted company," She said with a smile.

Merle shuffled on his feet and shrugged, "I ain't gonna kick you out, kid. Don't tell no body that I hang out with babies." Beth smiled wide and stepped into the front porch.

They sat in the living room which had only one couch and a comfy chair. Beth sunk into the chair happily and Pepper jumped up to climb on the top of it behind her head.

Merle sat on the couch across from her and scowled at her. "Any reason you wanna spend time with me kid?" He asked.

Beth shrugged, "Why did you go to Jail?"

Merle didn't seem angry at the question. He answered her warily, "Got in a fight with some kids in town." He sighed, "There are some real assholes 'round here, Beth. You gotta know that."

She nodded in understanding not in agreement. She liked her town and she liked everyone in it. Even Merle.

"There ain't no good people no more," He said softly. Beth tilted her head and simply said, "I think you're good." Merle scoffed at her. "Like I said... Ain't no good people 'round here. You gotta understand that."

Beth nodded.

Only this time she didn't understand.

* * *

wow I am so amazed at the response this story has gotten thank you all! Next chapter is the last childhood chapter and then on to zombies and romance! (: There will be flashbacks in the future of their time together as kids as well. I really like this story and I can't wait to get into the action!

Let me know what you thinK!


	3. Of Darkened Pasts and Sunny Futures

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 3  
Of Darkened Pasts and Sunny Futures

Will got sick when Daryl was 17 and it didn't seem like he was going to get better. The doctors were not really sure what was wrong with him. A lifetime of drinking and smoking had cut his life short. Receiving the news from the doctor that he wasn't going to live much longer was easy compared to the pain he had to endure to tell his children that he wasn't going to live much longer. Daryl had punched a hole in the wall and Merle, well he left and didn't come back for a few days.

Will was bed ridden. He couldn't move like he used to and he was forced to leave both of his jobs and lay in bed while his children did all of the work. He wasn't sure how they were managing it. Daryl took the job at the mechanics shop in his father's place. He dropped out of school a week after he started much to Will's disapproval.

If anyone was taking it hard then it was Merle. He would leave most nights and come back dirty and high days later. Sometimes he would have a wad of cash in his pocket and other times he had a broken nose and bruises. Will was too tired to tell his son to stop. So he didn't.

Daryl and Beth hadn't been close since they were young. Beth had turned 13 and told Daryl that she loved him and he, who was 15 and going through an asshole faze, told her that he would never love her. Not if she was the last person on Earth. So they fell apart, much like childhood friendships do. It wasn't until one day that Beth came knocking on the front door her eyes wet with tears that they started talking again.

"What happened?" He asked as he let her into the house. Pepper, who was old and graying, looked up lazily at Beth but didn't move to go to her.

Daryl took in his old friend's appearance as she shuffled awkwardly in the living room. She had a pair of dirty cowboy boots on, a dress that was much too short, and her hair was tugged back into a tight ponytail. She had changed. She had grown up and Daryl felt a little flutter inside of him at the sight of her, crying and shaking on the front step of his home.

"She's gone," Beth chocked out as she fell back onto the couch. Daryl stayed as far away from her as he could manage in the small space.

"Who?" He asked even though he realized he already knew the answer to that.

"My mom... or whatever that fucking woman was to me," She spat out sadly. Daryl was almost taken aback by her language but he was somewhat unsurprised. He had heard the rumors about Beth Shay around the high school. She was a mess, went to too many parties and went home with too many different guys. That wasn't Beth to him. She had been the adventurous child with her bare feet on the ground, her hair flying loosely as she ran around the peach grove happily. That peach grove was gone now, dried up from drought, over grown and untreated, just like they were now.

Beth held up an envelope to show Daryl before pulling it open and taking out several pieces of paper and what appeared to be a large amount of cash.

"Dear Bethy," She read with a dark laugh, "I let you down. I wasn't the mom that you needed for all these years. I hurt you. I mistreated you. I didn't love you like a mother should." Beth went quiet as another sob came from her mouth. She took a deep breath and continued, "I let you down. I let Hershel Greene down. I should tell you in this letter that I'm not your mama. Not in the ways that matter, not even in the real sense of the word. I took you in from the Greene's. They were poor and they didn't think that they could handle another mouth to feed. They were going through troubles and I owed them a favor..." Beth fell silent again then whispered out, "You're real parents are named Hershel and Annette Greene. They live in Senoa and they loved you. They did what was best for you. But I let them down. I wasn't what you deserved. No, not a sweet girl like you. I'm so sorry Bethy. I am leaving you all of the money I have left and a picture of your parents in hopes that you will be reunited with them someday soon. I loved you like you were my own. I'm so sorry. Missy."

Beth sucked in a breath and Daryl didn't seem to know what to do with himself. He shuffled on both of his feet and opened and closed his mouth continuously like a moron. Luckily Beth was too busy sobbing into her hands to see him.

"Look," She said sitting up again and placing the wrinkled letter on the cushion beside her. She pulled out another piece of paper and held it up to Daryl.

It was a photograph. A picture of a pretty older woman with blonde hair and large green eyes and beside her was an older man. His hair graying and a large beard on his face. It took Daryl a moment to catch up but soon he realized who they were, "Your parents?" He asked.

Beth nodded and then pulled the picture back looking down at it.

"They left me with that woman!" She said loudly, "They left me to be raised by a meth smoking whore!"

Beth placed her head back into her hands and sobbed. "I don't know what to do," She mumbled into the palms of her hands. "What do I do?" She asked again.

Daryl stepped forward and took the envelope from Beth's lap. He looked over the large amount of money and said, "Looks like a couple hundred. Could get you to Senoa." Beth looked up at the sound of his voice.

"You think I should go look for them?" She asked. Daryl shrugged and handed her the envelope. "I think you should do somethin' for yourself for once. Get the fuck out of Claxton. No place for a girl like you."

"A girl like me?" She asked. She whipped the tears from her eyes and focused on him completely.

"You may have forgotten who you are, girl, but I know you better than anyone," He said. He didn't make another step towards her. He simply stood a few feet away and looked down at her large blue eyes. "You are Beth Anne. You used to laugh at the word danger. 'Member when Pepper went and got herself stuck on a rock in the river behind the peach grove? You didn't think twice before goin' out there. Before jumpin' in and goin' after that fat ass cat. You never said no to nothin'. You're a stubborn lil' brat sometimes too," He smiled a little at that, "And you love too much."

They fell silent as the heaviness of that last statement hung around them. She had loved _him_ too much.

"I wouldn't even know where to start," She whispered.

"Gotta start somewhere. You ain't meant to sit in this town for the rest of yer life," Daryl answered with a shrug.

"What about you?" She asked breathlessly.

"What 'bout me?"

"Come with me."

She said it with such conviction that Daryl almost said yes right then and there.

"You know I can't."

They sat in silence again for several minutes. The only noise was the sound of Will's TV playing in the bedroom.

"You'll do fine without me," He said finally, "You don't need nobody." He kicked his feet awkwardly and decided that the floor of his living room was much more interesting than Beth's face.

"You're gonna miss me when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon," She said softly.

Daryl snorted a laugh, "Promise I'll never stop."

Beth grabbed her belongings from the couch and folded them back into the envelope. She stood up and looked at Daryl with her too big blue eyes. "Tell your daddy I love 'em," She says softly, "Been more of a parent to me than any of these people." She held up the envelope to show what she meant.

"Can tell 'em yourself," Daryl said nodded his head towards Will's room. She looked over at the door longingly but shook her head. "It'll hurt too much," She whispered out.

Beth looked back up to Daryl and nodded, "Thank you... for everything." She stood on her toes and kissed him gently on his cheek. A simple press of lips against his skin. He felt the warmth there long after she had left. He relished in the absence of Beth Anne like an open wound. He felt it long after she left Claxton and long after he leaves it too.

xxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxXXX

Will dies on September 30th at 8 pm. Daryl's 18. Merle's in jail again. And his childhood home seems too big for just himself now.

Pepper dies shortly after Will does and Daryl feels it heavy in his heart as he carries her body, wrapped in cloth, to the abandoned peach grove where he digs her grave and buries her.

He walks by Beth's house regularly. Looks over at it with longing in his eyes before moving on to his own home, that is beginning to fall apart all over again.

When Merle gets out of prison, after 6 months of time for possession, they set out on the road together.

They didn't have a real place to go. They simply floated, like wanderers, in and out of towns. Soon Merle's got himself a motorcycle and a bad reputation and Daryl's just known as his little brother.

They get into some shit here and there and it isn't a surprise when Merle ends up in jail time and time again.

"They gonna keep you forever next time," Daryl would always say when he picked Merle up from whatever county prison he ended up in. Merle would laugh loudly and say, "Not if they can catch me next time, baby brother!" But they always caught him.

There are a lot of Beths in the world, Daryl soon notices. Lots of maybes and I guess so's and what ifs. He doesn't stay with one girl for too long and when he meets one that has the 'marry me' vibe about her he runs like hell. Because he never wants to love someone like Beth loved him. Because it hurts too much and it leaves a gaping hole in your chest when the other person doesn't, or just can't, love you back. He had been too young at the time to get it. But he was beginning to figure it out.

Daryl was becoming the man that his father never wanted him to be. The man that Will Dixon was at one point. The man that Will Dixon feared Merle would become. He would roll in his grave if he saw him now, if he saw that he had become just another clone of Merle.

He stayed awake a lot thinking about it, when they slept in a dirty old motel room in some backwards town in Georgia, he thought about what his dad would think of him.

"You're actin' a damn fool, son," Daryl could almost hear his father say, "You ditch Merle. You find a place and you stay there you hear me?"

But he always ended up ignoring his father much like he ignored a lot of things. He also ignored the aching in his chest when he saw Beth out of the corner of his eye only to turn and find out that it is just another doppleganger. Someone with her hair and her height but nothing that made Beth, Beth.

It seemed like years passed with the same old shit. Town to town, causing chaos.

Soon Daryl is 24 and Merle is 31 and they are still acting like teenage assholes running around the state of Georgia on motorcycles.

But things start to change.

And neither Daryl nor Merle were ready for the world to turn to shit.

They were heading to Atlanta when it started. The dead rising. Ambling around each other like monsters, biting and scratching. The highways began to jam pack with fleeing cars. Merle and Daryl pulled away immediately ending up in some part of the woods outside of Atlanta. They are on their own for a while, trying to understand the things that they couldn't. The.. the _walkers_ that were tearing the world apart.

When they meet a group hiding out in a quarry outside of Atlanta they decide to stick around. Neither really knows why. Merle kept saying that they would steal their shit and leave but as the days pass he makes no move to follow through with his plan.

Daryl isn't sure if the world ending was a gift from god or a curse. He thrives in it... in the chaos in fucked-up-ness of it all.

Daryl stands in the woods one day holding his crossbow up, tracking a deer when he starts thinking about the past again. About his dad about Beth Anne and Pepper the cat. He makes a vow to himself then. If he is going to do anything in this messed up world then he swears that he is going to change.

For the better.

* * *

**Yay zambies. **

**let me know what you think**

**I love the idea of crazy party girl Beth so that will be played with later.**

**Also she will be back very soon! You will all get to know how the search for the Greenes went. (; **

**Let me know what you think!**


	4. How the Word Love Feels

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 4  
How the Word Love Feels

"You said you was gonna marry me someday!" Beth was screaming. She had a fist full of Daryl's shirt in her hand and her eyes were wide and flaming.

"You a damn liar now, Dixon?" She yells. She's drunk. Daryl knows it. He had come to Billy Hugh's party just to say that he had gone. He hadn't expected to see Beth there. 15 and all legs and blonde hair.

She had had too much to drink. Her 'friend' Chloe had told him so. He had done his best to go up to Beth calmly and pull her from the party and back to the safe confines of their campground. Instead it had turned into a screaming match in the middle of Billy Hugh's street.

"I can't believe you!" She screams throwing fists. "You don't talk to me for two damn years and suddenly you care if I'm drunk at a party! What are you my _chaperone?" _

He wonders what happened to sweet Beth Shay. Her big eyes, her glow of hair, her dirty bare toes buried in sand. He knows what happened. He had happened. Not even Missy broke Beth. He had. He had told her in the cruelest way that he did not love her. And now she was broken. Like a glass of moonshine smashed on the floor.

"I ain't tryin' to be your damn chaperone, girl," He bellows back, "Tryin' to give you a god damn wake up call! You see yourself!" He gestures down at her tight clothes and her dark eye makeup. She was a mess. A damn mess. The rumors were true.

"Don't need you to do nothin' for me!" She yells.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have come runnin' to my house yesterday cryin' 'bout your ma!"

"Don't you hold that against me!"

"I sure as hell am!" His nostrils flair, "You think you can run back into people's lives and take what you want and then you're fucking gone again! You're fucked up, Beth Anne! You been fucked up for a while! Findin' answers in the bottom of a bottle!"

Beth smacked him so hard across the face that he saw stars.

There are tears in her eyes. He can't tell if they are angry tears or sad tears. But they are there all the same.

"If anyone fucked up, Daryl Dixon, then it was you! You selfish son of a bitch! You can't let anyone get too close, can you?!" She was huffing and puffing across from him.

Daryl is standing on one side of the road and she is on the other. Inches from each other separated by a yellow line.

"I hate you so much sometimes, Daryl!" She yells, "You don't know shit about feelin' anythin'!" Her drawl was always heavier when she was angry. The alcohol added to it. So at this point she sounded like a pure blooded deep southern redneck.

"Yeah, I feel nothin'," He spits back, "Better than feelin' too much and hidin' it. Better than lyin' to myself."

"And you don't?" She asks. Her voice was much softer and the tears that were falling were definitely sad tears now. Daryl knew it. He felt it.

"Don't what, girl?" he asks bringing his voice down as well. Lucky for the two of them Billy Hugh lives in the middle of the woods with no neighbors for miles.

"Lie to yourself. You doin' it right now. I see it. I see how you look at me. I see how you want to drown in me. I see it," She is soft and desperate, "But you are lyin' to yourself. You close your eyes and you pretend you don't feel nothin'! I know your mama died and I know she was your world and I know Will ain't been well for a long time. Don't mean you have to stop feelin' it. You gotta feel it!"

They stand in silence. The only sound is their heavy breathing echoing on the pavement.

"I don't love you, Beth," Daryl says with conviction, "I don't love nobody."

"Liar," She pits out.

And if this was a romance novel than this would be the moment they would kiss. All desperate and heavy. And maybe the rain would start and he would lift her up and twirl her around. And he would whisper his love to her against the curve of her neck and they would be together and they would be good. But this wasn't that. And they weren't that. And love wasn't as easy as pressing lips and declaring words.

Love burned. Like a fire on your skin. Like your mom burning herself to death after falling asleep while drunk and smoking in bed. Like the first time your daddy hits you because he is scared and doesn't know what else to do. Like when the peaches mold and burn and swell in the summer heat. Like walking in on your brother shooting up in his room, his eyes rolling in his head.

It wasn't good. It wasn't nice. So Daryl doesn't want it. Doesn't need it.

"Never gonna love you, Beth," He says in a breath of air.

Beth shakes her head, "You love me. You're just too fool to see it." She steps backwards never taking her blue eyes off of him.

"I'm going in there. I'm drinking. Then I'm going to sleep in Billy's bed with him. So you either tell me now or I'm gone forever. Cause I'm leavin' tomorrow and I ain't comin' back here. Not for you. Not for nothin'."

She continues to step backwards and Daryl is tempted to say it just so that she won't go. Just so that she will run forward and go home with him. But he stays silent. There is no use in caging a bird if all it will do is sing softly in a half existence. He watches her inch her way back from the street.

When she reaches the grass of Billy Hugh's front lawn she pauses.

"I love you, Daryl," She declares like she had when she was 13 and her hair was sticking in all directions her blue eyes wide. "Don't forget that." And with that she is turning, her blonde air whipping around like a cape of gold. She is up the front steps in a heartbeat and then she is gone. And Daryl feels like he just figured out what the word love feels like.

xxxXXXxxxXXXxxXXxxxXXxxx

When Daryl wakes up he almost forgets where he is. Almost. The tent above him and the sound of birds and the soft voices of the group brings him back to reality. Away from the world of Beth Anne and Claxton, Georgia.

The end of the world.

This was the damn end of the world.

Daryl stretches his arms and rises up. His hand searches for his crossbow. When he feels it on his hand he grabs it, pulling it close as he goes to step out of his tent.

The first thing he notices is that Merle's tent is gone. The second is that Dale is huffing angrily in the center of camp.

"Gone! All gone!"

Daryl starts his walk over to the group. They are all standing around each other for the exception of T-dog, Glenn, Andrea, Morales, and Jacqui, who are all out on a run. He notices as an after thought that Merle is no where in sight.

"The hell is goin' on?" He asks looking around at the faces of the group. His group. These were his people now, too.

Shane, the leader of the pack, has his hands on his hips and an angry look on his face.

"You knew your brother was gonna take off?" He asks accusingly.

Daryl and Shane have never gotten along. Not since the day Daryl and Merle walked into camp. Shane had it out for him. He had it out for Merle too, saying that his brother was a no good drugie. He wasn't wrong. But no one talked about Daryl's family that way.

Daryl feels slightly lightheaded at that. His brother had left? Really left? Lori speaks up for him, "Look!" She says gesturing towards Daryl, "Looks like this is the first he's hearing of it!"

"He left?" Daryl asks in shock. His voice low and gruff.

"Yeah and he made out with most of our food and a few weapons, too!" Shane says angrilly. He starts pacing the area around them.

"He left you behind," Shane says suddenly, "Ain't you mad?"

Daryl shrugs. He's used to Merle going off on his own and leaving Daryl to pick up his pieces. He hadn't expected it to happen during the end of the world is all.

"He will either be back or he's gone for good," Daryl says roughly glaring at Shane.

"If he comes back, I'm gonna kill 'em!" Shane bursts out.

Daryl's blood boils.

"Hey! He's still my brother asshole!" Daryl points yells pointing at Shane, "You touch him I kill you."

Everyone goes silent waiting for the other shoe to drop. The tension is as tight as a string.

"You threatenin' me?" Shane asks darkly stepping forward. Daryl moves the same way but they are interrupted by Andrea's little sister saying loudly, "They're back!"

Everyone turns to wear a red car is racing up the path to the quarry. A loud alarm is sounding off from it as it drives up.

"Stupid son of a bitch!" Shane yells angrily, "He's gonna attract every damn walker in the area to us!"

As the car stops and Glenn steps out a stupid ass grin on his face everyone begins to rush to get the alarm disarmed. Jim pops the hood up and pulls out the wires to the alarm.

"Jesus, Glenn," Shane says angrily.

The cube truck is seen heading up the dirt path.

"We got out alright!" Glenn says, "Also we got some weapons!"

Daryl thinks that that is good concidering what they just lost.

When the truck pulls up and everyone starts stepping out there are hugs and happy voices. A man in a sherrif's outfit comes out of the car. Daryl hears Carl scream happily, "Daddy!"

Daryl turns on his heels at that. He pulls his crossbow over his shoulders and takes off, heading towards the edge of the woods.

He leaves the group behind and steps into the woods. He's gonna find his dumb ass brother and then they were going to get the fuck out of there. Yeah. That was the plan.

XxxxXXxxXXXxxxxXXXxxXXXxx

Merle knew that he had to leave. He didn't like that group at all. He didn't like their happy go lucky family bullshit. He wanted out. But, something in him knew that Daryl didn't want that. He would watch his brother as he stood around with the group, sitting at the fire with them some nights. Completely forgetting about old Merle.

So he left at night when Daryl was passed out in his tent.

He didn't look back.

Merle had to be careful. His brother was a damn good tracker. Better than he had every been. So he knows to conceal his steps, hide any evidence of the woods around him being disturbed. When he is far enough away that he feels safe he begins to circle back around to the highway. He would follow it somewhere. Who the hell knew where. Just somewhere else.

He makes it to the highway and comes out to see the cars covering most of the area. A few stray walkers are ambling around but he leaves them be.

Merle starts to follow the highway away from Atlanta. The city a ghost behind him.

He walks for what feels like hours and when he is so far from Atlanta that he can't see it in the distance anymore he stops to take a break. He sits on the edge of the woods against a tree and just breaths.

He hears rustling behind him and he reaches for the gun on his hip. He jults from his spot and looks into the woods where a blonde skinny girl is standing her hand raised gripping a bloody knife.

Merle thinks he recognizes her. But he isn't sure. He's met alot of blonde girls in his life time. She looks young, compared to him atleast, maybe even younger than Daryl.

Her eyes scan him up and down back and forth across his face.

Soon the knife is being lowered and her large blue eyes are widening.

"Merle?" She asks softly in disbelief.

Then it hits him like a truck.

That wasn't just some random blonde girl.

"Beth fucking Shay," He says crudely with a short laugh, "Holy shit. Thought fer sure you'd be the first dumbass dead!"

She tries to look angry at him but a smile is tugging on her lips.

"Looks like I'm tougher than you thought," Beth says. She places the knife back into it's holder on her hip.

She looks up at him and then looks around expecting to see someone else.

"Where's... where's Daryl?" She asks nervously.

_Shit, _Merle thinks to himself, _I'm gonna have to go back ain't I?_

He opens his mouth to explain what he had done and he knows that she'll drag him back by his ears. And a part of him doesn't hate the idea.

* * *

**yay. merle and beth for eva**

**like in a strictly platonic way.**

**Let me know what you think! **

**You are all beautiful and thank you for the responses to this story! I'm honestly SO honored. **


	5. Cause There is No Comfort in this World

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 5  
Because There is No Use in Getting Comfortable in this World.

Merle was standing on top of a car looking out over the highway. They hadn't gotten back to Atlanta. They couldn't seem to find it to be exact. Beth continued to call Merle a shit leader and he proceeded to call her a prissy bitch. It definitely was not going well. This partnership. Beth could remember when Merle and her had gotten along. When they had had an understanding.

Now they were completely lost and different. Just two oversized children running with their asses on fire.

Beth was sure of one thing, and it was that Merle wouldn't let anything happen to her. She could take care of herself, but it was nice. Having someone. Not being alone anymore.

Merle huffed loudly and jumped down from the car.

"Can't see shit," He says simply.

"You sure we're goin' the right way?" Beth asks from where she is sitting on the car across from him. They had found a pack of granola cars in a mini van and Beth hadn't hesitated to take one out and pop it in her mouth. She was still chewing when Merle walked over to her.

"Hell yeah I'm sure. I went towards that way," He says pointing in the opposite direction, "So Atlanta's gotta be that way," He turns and points forward. Beth rolls her eyes painfully, "You are a shit navigator."

Merle grunts at her, "Like to see you do better, girl."

Beth doesn't answer. Instead she finishes her granola bar and starts walking forward.

Merle doesn't hesitate to follow her.

XXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXxxxXXXxx

When Beth was 12 and Merle was 18. He had taken a liking to the kid. She was a bit rough around the edges, but he was rough and they were rough together.

When Daryl was at school, Will at work, and Missy decided to kick Beth out of the house for the day she would show up on the front porch. Merle wouldn't complain.

He had been into some heavy shit. Drugs, stealing, gang stuff. He never talked about it with Daryl or Will. But sometimes Beth would ask and he would just answer her.

"Have you every killed anyone?" She asks one day. He had some how managed to throw together a meal for the two of them and Beth was enjoying it happily on the couch. He came out of the kitchen to look at her with raised eyebrows.

"I look like a killer, kid?" He asked pointing at his face. Beth shrugged, "Just what drug dealers do. My mama says..."

"Don't listen to that bitch," He spits out shaking his head, "Your _mama_ don't know shit."

Beth went silent at that but didn't argue with him. Merle had been blunt with her when she turned 11. Told her straight up that he had sold to her mom. Told her that she was a no good piece of shit. Beth didn't fight it. She had the bruises as proof of her mom's behavior.

"She can be real smart sometimes," Beth finally said, "She knows things. I think that she's just lost is all."

Merle leaned against the door frame looking at the small girl. She continued to eat her sandwich in peace and Merle wondered why a 12 year old was so smart.

"Sometimes..." He started, "People get lost like that. My ma... she got lost... she was lost alot. Drank herself into a frenzy. Used to scare the hell out of Daryl though he loved her something awful. I tried to keep 'em safe. Make 'em see what she was. And he said... I'll never forget, 'That lady ain't mama. I'm gonn' help her get better, Merle, you'll see.'" Merle went quiet for a beat before continuing, "Daryl was like that when he was young. Hopeful and shit. Then our ma passed out drunk with a cigarette in her mouth and burned the whole house down with her."

Beth stared at Merle with wide eyes. She had heard the story. Daryl had told her under the peach grove in a quiet voice about his mom. About how they were similiar because of their moms. But she hadn't known that Daryl had done all that he could for her. Putting something like that on a child. Then Beth realized what she had been forced to do. How she had to grow up. How she had to know how to cook and clean and get herself food because her mom was too high to do anything other than stare into space. Beth remembered how she had to, still has to, clean her own wounds after her mom beats the hell out of her. And Beth realizes that her mom is so lost that there is no getting her back. Just like Merle and Daryl's had been.

"You think... I'll be like that someday?" Beth asked softly, "Be like my ma?"

Merle shrugged, "You won't get no drugs from me or anyone I know if that helps any."

Beth smiles up at him and returns her attention to her sandwich.

"I like talkin' to you, Merle. You're a good person."

"Ain't no good person." At least when she wasn't around he wasn't.

xxxXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxXXXxxx

Half of the day passed before they could finally see Atlanta in the distance.

"Fucking thank god!" Merle said loudly and cheered a little. Beth smiled up at him and then to the city on the horizon.

"Hey, Merle?" Beth asked as they continued to walk on the highway, passing cars and ignoring walkers.

"What?" He asked back in a way that wasn't as harsh as he might have hoped that it would be.

"What you gonna tell them when we get back?"

He scrunched his face up in thought. "Don't know. Lie probably," He said gruffly.

Beth shook her head and said, "Can't lie forever."

"That comin' from you?" He asked looking over at her with a look of amusement.

"I ain't a liar," She says defensively scowling at him, "What have I lied about, Merle? Been tellin' the truth since I was a kid."

"Lied to yourself didn' you?" He asked kicking at trash on the road as they went.

"Don't do that anymore. No use lyin' when the world doesn't even exist anymore," She went quiet in thought and Merle took that opportunity to ask,

"What happened to you anyway? Not that I care," he said quickly, "Just got up and left one day."

Beth's mouth fell into a frown. "It doesn't really matter anymore," She said in a hushed voice, "Gotta say who you are. Not what you were."

Merle looked over at her from across the road and remembered little Beth Anne with her frilly dresses and wild eyes and cut up knees. She was the same girl standing beside him. She was just as wild as she was when she was a child. He watched her grow. Wild and wonderful.

"What happened, Beth?" Merle pushed. She looked at him and stopped walking. Her eyes were wide and a bit of sadness hung there. She shook her head, looked away and began walking again. He kept pace with her as they kept their movement towards Atlanta.

"I went to go to Senoa," She begins softly, "Went to find my parents."

Merle had only heard the story half from Daryl. 'Beth's gone,' he had said, 'Ain't comin' back.' Merle was a little upset at those words all those years ago. He had hoped that Beth would stick around, marry Daryl, and make him a good man. Take Daryl away from him as far as his brother could get from Merle the better.

"Missy ain't...?"

Beth shook her head, "She left. She didn't come back. Left me money, names, and a town. Went out there. But... got a little lost." She shook her head sadly, "Wanted to come back. Wanted to come runnin' back like hell. But I didn't. I kept taking the train into Senoa and not finding myself being able to get off. I couldn't do it. I didn't want to know. My family wasn't there in Senoa waiting for me. They were sitting in Claxton tryin' to figure out why I left."

Merle didn't dare speak again after that. They hadn't waited in Claxton long. But he didn't want to tell her that. Didn't want her to know what had happened to him and Daryl after she had left. Of course Merle knew. Merle knew how she cried over Daryl the night before she left. How she screamed at him. How she slapped him so hard that Daryl had come home with a red hand print pressed into his face. He knew that Beth loved Daryl. And he knew that his brother didn't know if love was a real thing. And he hated to admit it but he was a little excited to see his baby brother's face light up the second he sees Beth. Maybe then he could leave in peace. Daryl distracted and not looking over to make sure that Merle was still standing there next to him.

They reached a familiar patch of cars and Merle knew that it was time to cut into the woods.

"This way," He said gesturing towards the forest. Beth raised her eyebrows but followed him anyway.

They went into the woods together and walked for sometime until the sound of walkers came up on them.

They looked to their left and saw a large group of walkers following them.

"Fuck," Merle said, "Run!"

They moved like lightening. Like fire was on their backs.

Beth followed Merle on his heal as he ran towards the quarry. When they finally came upon the sound of voices and the walkers were only a slow rumble behind them they knew they were safe. Safe for now. Beth had an unsettling feeling in her stomach that the walkers were coming. They had caught their scent and now they weren't going to stop. The dread filled the both of them as they fell out of the woods and into camp, their hearts pounding.

Faces filled Beth's eyes as they appeared in front of her. Tough looking men, women with worried looks, and a few kids all huddled together in fear.

Beth felt bile fill her throat, these people were in danger now. Because of them.

Before she could yell out her warning a man came out from behind the growing group of onlookers. He has a gun raised and pointed at Beth and Merle as he came closer.

"How _dare_ you come back here," He spits out looking to Merle, "You steal from us and leave then you come back with some fuckin' stranger with you!" He was red in the face and Beth felt a sense of hatred boiling in her.

He stepped forward and grabbed for Merle, his hands fisting Merle's shirt and dragging him across the dirt ground.

"Stop! Don't!" Beth was yelling.

"Shut up! We don't know you! You don't get to speak!" The man yelled pointing his gun at her. Beth immediately sat back in silence her eyes wide.

They dragged Merle away from her but not far enough away that she couldn't see them throwing punches across his face.

"Stop!" Beth screamed standing up and moving forward, "You all need to get out of here! There is a horde comin'!" She was yelling trying to get their attention. Only a few onlookers seemed to have heard her and they were all too scared to speak up.

She ran forward and pulled the man off of Merle and yelled, "Listen to me! There are walkers comin'! We all gotta move!"

The man raised his fist to smack her but he froze his eyes registering who he was aiming at. "Shane!" Beth heard another male voice yell. She turned to see a man in a sheriff's outfit approaching them. "The hell you doing?" He asked accusingly his arm gesturing to Merle who was bleeding out on the ground.

Beth turned to him and went forward her eyes large and wild. "Please," She begged stepping up to him and invading his space, "Listen to me. We need to go. There is a group of walkers comin' we gotta get out of here it ain't safe." Beth saw the message settle in the man's eyes and he nodded.

"Shane you heard the girl. We gotta pack up and go," The man said turning to Shane who was now holding his shoulders tightly and glaring.

"We gonna listen to strangers now?" Shane yelled angrily.

The man beside Beth raised his voice back, "It don't matter if they're strangers! They say walkers are coming! We gotta protect our own!"

Beth thanked this man internally over and over but couldn't seem to find her voice to say it out loud.

"What are we gonna do 'bout him, huh?" Shane asked gesturing to Merle, "He stole from us! He took our food and took off!"

"He's back isn't he?" The sheriff said calmly, "He's back and he seems to have a pack with all the stuff in it. He came back and now he is protecting us by warnin' about the walkers. That seems reason 'nough to listen."

Shane was shaking his head when the familiar sound of snarls filled their ears.

"Oh god," Beth breathed out. She ran over to Merle and pulled him to his feet, "We gotta go! Where's Daryl?" She asked. She watched everyone look around and some shrugged. One finally spoke up, a blonde with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and a tough look on her face.

"He went hunting earlier. Shouldn't be too far back."

And like he was on queue Daryl came out of the woods his crossbow strapped to his back, a couple of dead squirrels hanging off of his belt.

Beth felt something flip inside of her as it had all of those years ago. When she would look at him while the sun hit his face under the peach trees. When she would grab his hand and pull him through the over grown blades of grass before the forest. Her heart pounded so heavily against her chest that she felt like her ribs were going to explode and set it free.

She wanted to whisper out his name. To run to him. But the sound of snarls behind her was getting louder and closer.

Everyone began to scatter as the first few walkers came into view.

"Are we gonna fight them?" Beth heard someone yell. Shane answered, "Do what you can! We gotta protect our home!" Some went into hiding, running off into the woods and Beth saw a few pull out guns and begin to fire.

She felt Merle heavy on her side and heard him pulling the trigger beside her. She pulled him forward towards Daryl who was already hurrying over. Without missing a beat he was taking the weight off of Beth's shoulders and helping Merle stand.

"The hell's goin' on?" He asks loudly over the sound of walkers and screaming.

"We gotta go," Beth says desperately looking him straight in the eyes, "There's a horde."

"I fuckin' see that," He cuts her off raising his crossbow to take aim and shoot one that was getting too close for comfort.

"Grab yer shit," Merle says loudly shoving Daryl off of him, "We are gettin' out of here."

"No," Daryl says, "We ain't goin' this place is safe."

"Ain't safe anymore!" Merle screams.

"Now isn't the time for this," Beth interrupts. She side steps a walker and shoves her blade into the base of it's neck. "Make a decision!" She says roughly after she pulls her knife out.

Daryl looks at Merle and then to the rest of the group. They are all struggling with the walkers that are pouring into the camp. There seemed to be no end to them.

"We are gettin' out of here but we ain't leavin' them behind. We gotta get the cars goin'. C'mon," He says gesturing for Beth to follow him, "Merle. Get the shit from my tent and tell as many people as you can do to the same. We are clearin' this place out."

"Rick!" Daryl yells suddenly. The Sheriff turns and looks over to Daryl. "We are gettin' out of here. Get all of the cars runnin'!" Rick nods and turns to run to Dale's RV where the keys are kept safe. Beth sees Merle covering people as they go into their tents and grab their belongings. Beth also sees a few members get bit. A man, whose wife sobs over him, a young blonde whose sister, the girl that had told Beth where Daryl was, is sobbing over her body.

Beth doesn't look back as she feels Daryl grab her arm and pull her towards the cars.

"Gotta get them started. Gotta get everyone in and then we are gettin' the fuck out of here," He says roughly.

Rick comes running over to join them a few people following his lead. Rick tosses a pair of keys to Daryl who takes them and runs over to the truck that Daryl and Merle had brought with them. On the back was Merle's bike, strapped into place.

"Get in," Daryl says opening the driver's seat and pushing her up and inside. He leans into her space and says, "I'm goin' to make sure we get everyone out. You stay in this damn car. You keep it on. If I don't make it out..."

"Daryl don't," She interrupts but his hands clasp her cheeks tightly.

"Listen to me," He says his eyes consuming her, "If I don't make it you get out. You drive this truck. You stay with this group. They will take care of you, you understand?" She nods against his hands and when he begins to pull away she grabs his wrists holding him there. "Be safe," She whispers. He nods and then he is gone running back towards the camp. Beth pulls the door closed and turns the key in the truck roaring it to life.

She sees the cars around her start and she watches as members of the group fill them up. As a car gets full they take off driving down the dirt path.

The last few to show up are the blonde woman and a gray haired woman whose eyes are watery and sad. All Beth wants to do is run over and hug her as tight as her small arms can. Her breath catches when she doesn't see Daryl or Merle. She is waiting. Flexing her fingers on the steering wheel.

"C'mon," She mumbles outloud, "Come on!"

Then Daryl is there Merle behind him and they are sprinting towards the truck. Beth pops the car into drive with a sigh of relief and they both jump in Daryl sitting in the passenger side and Merle jumping into the bed of the truck with his bike.

"Leggo!" Merle yells slamming the side of the truck.

Beth pushes the gas down in a rush and takes off down the road. Leaving the quarry behind them.

* * *

**Let me know what you think**

**this chapter was really hard for me and I think I lost Merle's character somewhere in there. He has a soft spot for Beth so he is definitely not as mean to her as he is to everyone else. Hope that this was okay.**


	6. Merle on the run and Carl's been shot!

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 6  
Merle on the run and "Carl's been shot!"

They had driven as far as the highway would permit before they had to stop and pull over. The highway was full of cars for what looked like miles. There was no where to go from here. It was a dead end. Merle cheered as Beth slowed the truck to a halt.

"Finally!" Merle yelled from the bed of the truck, "Felt like my damn legs were gonn' fall off!" He jumped out of the bed of the truck and sauntered over to the driver's side. Beth was still gripping the steering wheel uncharacteristically tight. Her knuckles white and bony. Merle pulled the door open and gently eased her hands away from the wheel.

"C'mon girl, stretch yer legs or somethin'," he pulled her out of the truck and sparred Daryl a glance. One that said, 'you better step up'. Daryl scowled and jumped out of the car without a second glance.

The other members of the group were sitting around the pavement. Daryl could see Dale on top of his RV scanning the area. As he stepped closer he heard him say, "Goes on for miles and miles. No stretch of the highway is clear."

"Gotta figure out where we are gonna go," Rick said. His son Carl was standing beside him leaning himself into his father's leg. Rick gave him a quick pat on the head before saying, "We need to regroup. Gotta find a new place to stay for a while."

"We can't stay on the road too long, Rick," Dale chimed in from the top of his RV, "It isn't safe."

They knew that. Daryl could tell that Rick definitely knew that. But there wasn't many options at the end of the world.

"Not like we're gon' find a 4 star hotel somewhere," Daryl drawled, "Gonn' take a while."

Rick looked to Daryl and nodded, "We're gonna have to scout around." He turned and looked around the group.

"Shane," Rick called, "You come with me." Daryl saw Carl begin to tug on his father's shirt. "I want to come too!" He said, "I know how to use a gun now! Please, Dad!" Rick looked to Lori who nodded stiffly. Rick sighed, "Yeah, fine. Come with Shane and I."

Rick looked to Daryl, "You take Merle and Glenn." Daryl hadn't even noticed Beth beside him until he saw her blonde hair fly with the shake of her head. "Merle ain't goin' anywhere. Pretty sure he's got a fractured rib," She sent a deathly glare towards Shane who smirked darkly at her.

"Don't need a babysitter, kid," Merle cut in. He was trying to sound tough and mean but with a gentle pat to her shoulder she knew that it was all an act. Beth shook her head again and looked at Daryl. He was trying his best to avoid her. Avoid looking at her, avoid hearing her talk, trying his best to stay as far as possible from Beth Fucking Shay.

"Fine," Daryl said dismissing Beth's look, "Stay here, Merle. Let Tinker Bell look after you. I'll take Glenn and T-dog with me." He motioned for the two men, "C'mon."

Beth watched as Daryl slung his crossbow on and sauntered off towards the woods Glenn and T-dog not far behind.

Beth glared daggers at his back as he went. Merle couldn't help but chuckle. "Relax, _TinkerBell," _He said sarcastically. Beth swatted at his arm and turned, walking off towards the RV to see if she could find a first aid kit.

xxxxXXXxxxXXXxxxXXXxxx

Beth didn't mind the rumors. They made her sound mysterious. Like a mythical goddess that came and went. Only it was parties and random boys' bedrooms that she went to. She didn't mind the looks, the stares, the angry girlfriends who held their boyfriends too close whenever Beth walked into a room. It didn't mean anything to her. Not really. She wasn't one to care what others thought of her. She learned that from the Dixons.

The only thing that really bothered her about the rumors is that they weren't true. Yeah, she went to parties. Yeah, she carried around a red solo cup. But most of the time the cup was full of water and everyone was too drunk to know the difference.

She didn't care. Not really.

She met Chloe at one of the parties in the woods. Everyone was around a bonfire, the light blazing and burning across the night sky. Beth felt like the world was on fire as she sat back on a log and watched it. The flames licking towards the tops of trees.

Chloe had been drunk. Really drunk. A guy had his hands all over her. She kept pushing him off. Kept scrambling to get away.

So Beth stood up. Grabbed him by the collar and punched him square in the nose. Blood was gushing down his face and his eyes are wide and scared. "Th... the fuck?" He asked in shock.

"Make it your mission to take advantage of drunk girls at parties?" Beth asked darkly. He shook his head and stammered some. "Get out of here," Beth said. He scrambled to his feet and ran off.

Chloe had a look of admiration in her eyes as Beth took her red solo cup and handed it over to Chloe. "Drink," She said. Chloe did. In fact she chugged it like it was a full cup of vodka. "Shit," Chloe said as she swallowed the cold liquid, "Infamous Beth Shay drinks _water_ at parties?"

Beth shrugged and sat down beside Chloe on the hard Earth. Chloe didn't stop staring at her for a while before she said, "I'm gay." Beth looked over to Chloe with a raised eyebrow. Chloe began to laugh and Beth couldn't help but smile at her. "Guys are fucking gross," Chloe said and then laughed harder. Beth could see the wetness in her companion's eyes.

"It's not like... it's hard. You know? To play along. Cause in a town like this... I'm a dead girl walking," Chloe shook her head.

Beth watched her and then asked, "Why'd you tell me?"

Chloe smiled, "We can keep each others secrets for a while. I think we both need that."

Beth whole heartedly agreed.

xxxXXXxxxXXXxxxXXXxxx

Beth had found a small first aid kit in one of Dale's cabinets. The older man didn't even bat an eyelash at her as she took it from the RV without saying a word. Beth ignored most of the people in the group and their questioning stares. She would have a better chance to connect with them another time. Besides she had a feeling that she wouldn't be staying around for long. It felt wrong. These weren't her people. They weren't Merle's people. And right now she didn't exactly feel welcome by Daryl.

She made it over to the truck where Merle was. He had the bed open and was sitting haphhazardly on the edge of it. A cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He looked unusually grim staring out into space.

"Have a big thought in your head or something?"

Beth asked she she came up to him.

Merle looked over at her and a smirk grew on his face. "Nah, _Tinkerbell._ Just enjoyin' the view."

Beth rolled her eyes at Tinkerbell and went to stand beside him. She looked out into the empty highway and sighed. "This is what we get to look at for the rest of forever," She said sadly.

Merle snorted and shrugged, "Ain't so bad. Last ones on Earth and shit."

Beth didn't respond. She turned and set the first aid kit onto the bed of the truck beside Merle's form. She popped it open and began pulling out gauze and antiseptic.

"Don't need you to nurse me back to health, kiddo," Merle said dismissively. He returned to staring out at the expanse of highway. Beth didn't bother to argue. She simply put some antiseptic on the gauze and began to pat his bloody face down, avoiding the cigarette that dangled out of his mouth.

"'Nough!" Merle said pushing Beth's arm away.

He jumped off the bed of the truck and pointed at her angrilly.

"You need to stop this shit, Beth!"

Her eyes widned in shock. Merle has raised his voice at her before, sure. But he had never been so sudden. So jumpy. And he never called her Beth when he was angry. Ususally calling her Blondie or Kid.

"You can't go around and give people like me the time o' day! You too good for that shit! Too good for my dumb ass baby brother!"

Beth furrowed her eyebrows and went to speak but Merle cut her off with a gruff, "shut it!"

"You know he don't want you! You know that we are no good! What you doin' here girl? You need to go! Find a safe place! Stay far away from us!"

There was a pause before he continued. Beth could feel the eyes of the group pouring into the back of her head.

"This group of broken! Ain't no one good left!"

Beth heard a sharp "hey!" from behind her. She didn't have to turn to know it was Andrea.

"Don't talk about us like that! We saved your ass!"

Merle reeled on Andrea then, "Yeah did you, Blondie! You saved ole Merle!"

Andrea took a step forward, "Didn't leave you to die! Even though you've been fightin' all of us from the start!"

Merle scoffed at her. He threw his cigarette to the ground and it burst, the light part flaring across the pavement.

"You know what you did for me!? Huh? You wanna know?"

"Yeah why don't you enlighten us, Asshole!?"

"What is going on?" It was Daryl. Beth turned towards him. He was exiting the woods and coming towards them with a blaze in his eyes. Beth watched him lurk forward with T-dog and Glenn right behind them.

Then something caught Beth's attention and she froze stiff.

"Walkers!" She called pointing behind Glenn and T-dog.

A few ambling figures came into view. Daryl pulled his crossbow and began to fire at them. Andrea pulled a gun out, but Daryl was there telling her to stop. "Gonna attract more of them!"

But as more and more began to appear from the trees Beth realized that they had already been called towards them and it wasn't because of anyone's gun.

"Everyone! Fall back! Hide!"

Beth didn't know where it came from. Suddenly Daryl was gripping her arm and pulling her back and around towards the rows of abandoned cars.

Everyone was scrambling. Hiding under cars, locking themselves in the RV. Beth searched for Merle as Daryl pulled her towards the open trunk of a car.

Merle was pulling his bike off the back of the truck. Beth's breath hitched.

"No!" She yelled pulling against Daryl's firm hand. Beth felt Daryl falter. But only for a moment. He put both hands on her shoulders firmly (but gentle) and tugged her back and turned her towards the trunk.

"Get in," He said. She did. Beth crawled into the trunk and squeezed her legs under her body. The walkers were growing in number. Daryl shot one that was ambling towards them. Beth heard the distinct sound of a motorcycle reving. She pushed her face into her hands and felt the weight of Daryl crawling in beside her.

"Sh," He said as she looked up at him to protest. He held the trunk shut and they waited. The sound of walkers clawing and scurring around them lessened and lessened as time passed. It felt like hours before the outside of the trunk was silent. The only noise in the space around them was the sound of Beth's heavy intakes of breath and the beating of Daryl's heart.

"Merle," She whispered when the outside was completely silent and the voices of their companions can be heard calling to each other. Beth turned to face Daryl and he looked at her with deep eyes.

"I know," He whispered into the darkness. His hand went to her cheek and whipped away a tear that she hadn't even noticed had fallen. "He'll be alright. Tough son of a bitch." Beth nodded against his palm.

"C'mon," Daryl said. He pushed open the trunk and stepped out. Beth followed after him.

The group was all standing near the RV. Some were sobbing.

"We lose anyone?" Daryl asked as they got closer.

"T-dog was cut badly. Looks like he will be alright though. He's lost a lot of blood," Dale said darkly. Daryl nodded and looked over to where his truck sat. The bed was empty and any remnants of his brother was long gone. He felt a small hand grasp his forearm. He looked down to Beth who had a small sad look on her face. He felt that familiar feeling in his chest. When she would trip and fall in the woods behind the peach grove. Her knee would bleed and bleed and he would sit there as she made that face. The face that said, "I am strong enough not to cry. But all I want to do right now is cry like a baby." He would take off his shirt and whip the blood off of her knees and then he would kiss both of them. 10 and childish and wild. He would kiss her knees as his mom would do when he got hurt. _"It's all better now," _He would say.

"S'all better now," He whispered. Beth choked back a gasp and buried her head into his chest.

"S'all better now."

XXxxxXXXxxxXXXxxXXXXxxXXXx

Rick, Shane, and Carl hadn't come back yet. When a woman on a horse came riding out of the woods everyone knew that something had happened.

"Lori Grimes?" She called. Lori stepped forward. "You need to come with me! Your son's been hurt. We have a farm down the road! Get your people and follow me!" Lori climbed onto the horse behind the woman and looked back at the group.

The woman barked out directions to the farm and the group nodded in understanding.

"I'll take the lead," Daryl said as he went back to the truck. He looked over to Beth and nodded his head in a way of telling her to follow him. So she did.

As they pulled up to the white farm Beth felt a sense of unease fill her. Her skin felt clammy and her hands were wringing back and forth against themselves in her lap. She looked over the grass fields and bit her lip.

"Reminds me of the trailer park," Daryl said suddenly. His voice was low and it eased her nerves a little.

A small smile crept on her face as she looked over at him, "Maybe we can go adventuring through the woods. Find a creek."

Daryl snorted in an amused way, "So you can fall and scrape yer knee?" He asked. Beth let out a breathy laugh at that.

They pulled to the side of the white house. On the steps was an older man with white hair and a beard. As they stepped out of the truck and Beth got closer and closer to the man she felt her stomach drop.

"Name's Hershel Greene," He said loudly so they all could hear him, "Welcome to the farm."

Beth felt her muscles spasm and her stomach began to lurch. Bile came up to her throat. She had to turn and book it back behind the truck. She kneeled over and let the puke fall out of her.

Daryl was there in a heartbeat.

"You alright?" He asked putting his hands on her back and her arm and rubbing them all over her. His touch made her feel worse instead of better.

She remained with her head lowered to the ground and her hands on her knees.

"Beth," He said desperately.

Slowly she stood up.

Her eyes were wide and dark with tears. She pushed them out of her eyes with the palm of her hand and took a shaky breath.

She dropped her bag to the ground and opened it. Daryl gave her a quizzical look but waited patiently as she rumaged through and found what she was looking for.

A green notebook was in her hand as she stood back up. She opened it and on the first page was that familiar letter from her Missy Shay.

Beth sniffled loudly and a sob slipped form her lips.

She pulled the photo out of the notebook and held it up to Daryl. He looked at it with squinted eyes.

A much younger version of Hershel Greene was looking back at him.

She flipped it over and showed him the back.

Sure enough there was his name. In messy script. _'Hershel and Annette Greene. October.'_

The puzzle pieces in Daryl's head fell into place with a snap.

"That's..." He said taking the photo from her hand.

"That's my dad."

"Shit."

* * *

**leaving that there. I didn't want to jump into the farm after so much already happened. yeah yeah yeah.**

**It took my forever to update and I apologize. Love y'all.**

**Let me know what you think**


	7. Maggie, Carol, and the love of children

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 7  
Maggie, Carol, and the love of children.

Will was leaning against the side of the house listening to Daryl and little Beth Anne in their plastic house. A smile was lingering on his lips. He could hear them. Giggling and talking. He heard how Beth Anne called Daryl, Mr. Dixon and how he would laugh and call her Mrs. Dixon.

"Finally," Will thought to himself, "Someone is givin' the Dixon name a good meaning."

He had a cigarette in his hand and he was rolling it absently between two fingers. There was a brown bag sitting on the porch beside him. It was full of candy. Candy that he was just about to surprise the kids with. But when he heard the sharp laugh of Beth Anne's pixie voice he froze. He relished in it. The happiness that his child has finally come to learn.

"Now Mr. Dixon, what would you like for supper?"

Will smirked at the bossy tone in Beth Anne's voice. A true woman through and through even at 8 years old.

"Beth we don't have any real food in here," Will heard Daryl reply in a whisper.

He snorted at his son's answer.

"It's called pretend, Daryl! How are we going to get married if you can't even tell me what you want for dinner?"

Will closed his eyes and imagined what his son would look like. Married, living in a house, a few kids running around. He would imagine that Daryl would be a better man than he was. He saw the way Daryl was sometimes. Saw the lingering look of sadness, of distance in his eyes. Like he was searching for something deep inside that he couldn't quite get a hold of.

Will was worried. Yeah. He worried a lot about Daryl. Because, where Merle was tough and icy, Daryl was soft and warm. He was always helping. Always talking. Always falling too easily. Will kept his eyes closed and imagined. Imagined his son with long shaggy hair. In his 30's, a baby in his arms and Beth Anne beside him. Her hair blonde and her face glowing from another pregnancy.

Will opened his eyes finally and looked at the blue sky.

"Pepper would you like some moonshine?" Will heard Beth Anne's light voice ask happily. He couldn't help it. He burst into a fit of laughter that brought tears to his eyes.

Almost immediately the back window of the plastic house flew open and two heads popped out. Beth with a look of happiness and Daryl slightly red as if embarrassed to be caught playing pretend.

"Hi Mr. Dixon!" Beth Anne hollered just as Daryl said, "Hey, dad."

Will chocked back his laughter. He stubbed his cigarette into the ground and grabbed the bag off of the porch.

"Got ya'll some treats on the way home from work. Consider it a house warmin' present," Will said with a warm smile on his face. He held the bag out towards the window and Beth Anne's tiny arms poked out to take it.

"Wow!" They both yelled happily. "Thank you!" The window closed immediately and Will smiled as he heard Beth Anne declaring desert served.

Will turned and headed into the screened in porch.

Yeah. Daryl was the soft one. The one that Will worried would get hurt. The one that Will KNEW would get hurt. Heart broken so badly that he would never recover. Who knows. Maybe the kid already has been. Leighanne was the love of that child's life.

Will shook his head and spared one last glance at the little plastic house.

If anyone could help Daryl it would be Beth Anne and that damn cat Pepper.

XxxxxXXxxxXXxxXXxxxXXxxXXXxxxxX

Beth didn't step foot in the house. In fact, after all of the arrangements had been settled she had gotten as far as she could from the damn farm house while still being on the property. She wasn't surprised when Daryl followed her. He set up their tents next to each other and as far from the rest of the group, and that fucking house, as possible.

"You think they know?" Daryl asked absently. He had tied a string between two trees near their tents. Beth wanted to do laundry. He wasn't going to protest.

"No," Beth said and shook her head wildly, "They don't know me. Never will."

"Maybe you should..."

"Drop it, Daryl."

So he did.

A week passed before Carl could move again. Everyone thought that they would immediately leave the farm, atleast Beth had really hoped it. But they hadn't And it wasn't looking like they would.

"We need more time," Rick said to Daryl, "We can't just jump back on the road. Lori isn't feeling well. Plus Carol and Andrea need time to mourn their dead."

Beth didn't understand why Carol cried over her dead husband. That Ed guy used to beat her senseless. But then again Beth couldn't judge. She had loved Missy Shay until the day she disappeared. Even when she would beat Beth so bad that she couldn't move for days.

Beth sat and watched Carol today. It was warm and the heat was starting to cause everyone to be slightly more agitated than usual. Carol was a slump of flesh in the grass. Her eyes glazed over. Her daughter seemed much better than her. The girl was smiling and talking happily to Carl about something or other. How she was so glad that he was okay. How cool it was that he had gotten shot and lived.

Beth simply let their idle conversation fill her mind. She was sitting near the group camp while fiddling with her knife and stabbing it into the grass over and over again. And she just simply watched Carol. The woman seemed so lifeless. So

_"Like a puppy that just don't care anymore,"_ Missy's voice said, _"Like a little pup whose mother left it to die. Starve and freeze to death in the real world."_

Beth was loosely aware of Daryl approaching them from the farm.

"Hey," He said gently as he stood behind Carol. His eyes lingered over the woman, flipped over to the kids, and then landed on Beth. He studied her for a moment and then said, "Havin' a meetin'. We all need to attend."

Carol looked up lifelessly to Daryl but did not speak.

"Cool!" Carl jumped in, "Can we come along?"

Daryl snorted in amusement, "Well you both gotta come to the house. But, you're both sittin' in the other room."

Carl and Sophia both slumped at that.

"We gotta go in the house?" Beth asked. Her voice sounded much weaker than she would have hoped.

Daryl simply nodded.

It was old fashioned. The house. The whole place felt so... so country. Beth enjoyed it. Maybe a bit too much. Her eyes lingered on everything in the sitting room. On the clocks, on the shelves, on he knick knacks, on the pictures in pretty frames. Her eyes scanned over them continuously. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. But when she saw nothing familiar she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Everyone in the room was sitting beside Beth and Daryl. Hershel was by the opposite side of the room and Beth was doing all she could to avoid his eyes.

"I am lettin' you people stay as long as you need. But we gotta set up some ground rules," The older man spoke. His voice was stern and commanding. Beth felt no familiarity to it.

"No one can come in the house unless me or my family members are here. I won't be having thieves stealing my family's only hope of survival. You can sleep in that camp area and use the well behind the house... since," He spared a glance to Glenn, T-dog, and Rick, "The one near you is contaminated.

Beth could tell that everyone wanted to laugh. But no one dared to.

"Also you will hunt for your own food. We have some that we can share but not nearly enough for all of us. We will have to work together on that."

Beth looked over to Daryl who was leaning back against the wall beside her. She nudged him playfully. When he looked down at her questioningly she simply smiled up at him. Best damn hunter she knows.

The rest of the meeting went by uneventfully. As it went on and on the more Beth wanted to flee. To run as fast as she could back to her tent on the edge of the property. Every time Hershel spared a glance towards her, her heart leapt. Would he recognize her? Would he know that she was the baby that he had given up? Would he see her and just _know_?

Beth didn't linger on the thought.

"Well it seems like all is settled," Rick said loudly drawing all the attention to him, "we really appreciate this Hershel. We promise not to be in your way. Once we are all healed up we will leave."

Hershel nodded sternly at him as if to say _hell yes you will_.

When everyone filed out Daryl, Rick, and beth were the only three remaining in the house with the Greene family. Shane side glanced Hershel with a look of guilt before leaving. Beth imagined that he felt guilty for what had happened to, Otis when they were on that run together. Beth wondered what had happened. Shane had said that Otis died like a hero. But she saw the way his jaw clenched and his throat convulsed under his skin. He was a liar. A damn good one at that. Beth remembered the last thing that Merle had said to her, _"This group is broken!" _He wasn't wrong.

Beth didn't know why she was still standing in that house. Why she was lingering behind with Daryl who was only lingering to look after Rick. She didn't know. Daryl hadn't even spoken to her fully since she had found him. It ached. Constantly. Being with him and yet feeling like they were still so far apart. Like the whole state of Georgia was between them.

A small tap on Beth's shoulder drew her attention away from her childhood friend. She turned and looked straight into eyes that were as green as the grass outside.

"Hi. I'm Maggie. Beth right?" The woman said with a smile.

Beth felt her stomach clench and unclench painfully. This woman was... well her sister. _Her sister._ Beth didn't think that she would ever have that. Someone else other than herself and the Dixons. Let alone a _sister._

"Uh.. yeah," Beth said dumbly. Her face felt hot and she knew that she must be red.

Maggie didn't seem to notice. She simply smiled and said, "Thought I would introduce myself. You're the closest thing to a female my age I have seen in.. well forever." She laughed lightly and shook her head. "World ends and all I want is a friend. Sad isn't?" She was still smiling at Beth waiting for her to say something.

Beth shook her head weakly. "Oh, No. When... When I found Rick and his group I was just happy to see people that weren't trying to _eat _me. I almost cried." Beth couldn't help but smile at that. Her first contact with a real person in a long time had been Merle. Merle fucking Dixon.

"Were you out there alone?" Maggie asked softly, "It must have been... must have been awful." Beth shrugged. She could see the question hanging in Maggie's eyes. _Where is your family? _Beth wanted to laugh, 'well apparently I'm lookin' at them.'

"It could have been a lot worse," Beth said with a small smile. Maggie returned it.

"Well I have to go take care of the horses. Why don't you come to the house tomorrow morning? We can talk more," Maggie said warmly. Beth nodded her response and stared after Maggie as she walked out of the house. _A fucking sister. _

Beth let out a shaky breath and turned to look at Daryl. He was standing at the front of the room with a coy look on his face. She shot him a glare and walked out. Ignoring Rick's voice calling after her.

XxxxXXxxXXXxxXXXxxXXxxXXXxxXX

"Reminds me of the forest behind the peach grove," Beth said softly. She knew Daryl was standing beside her. She could feel him. Feel his breath falling in and out. Feel him watching her. She always was like that. Always just knew when he was close.

"You gonna come sit with me or stand there all day?"

The grass was warm and comfortable against her skin. The sun was peaking through the tree lightly. The farm was beautiful. Beth couldn't deny that. And when you sat right under the largest tree by the fence, it felt like home. Felt like she was back in Claxton. Back before she fell apart.

She heard Daryl shuffle and sit down in the grass beside her. She noticed that he still held onto his crossbow with a tight grip. Her eyes roamed over his tightly clenched hand to his muscled arm and then up to his face. He wasn't looking at her. He was staring up through the tree. Catching glimpses of the blue sky above the leaves.

"I miss it," She whispers out.

Daryl looked over at her briefly, "Miss what?"

"Home," Beth breathed out, "Miss the peach grove. Miss Mr. Mark yellin' at me to stop stealin' his peaches. Miss the woods. And the creek. Miss you."

Daryl sucked in a breath at that.

"Shouldn't. Nothin' to miss. Right 'ere ain't I?"

"Are you?"

Silence hung between them like a thick blanket. It held in the Georgia heat and consumed them both. Burned them up.

"I..." Beth fell quiet, "When I left... I didn't..." She shook her head, "I didn't want to. I didn't want to leave you."

"Didn't stop you did it?" He asked with a drawl.

Beth looked over his face. His eyes met hers and stayed there. Holding on each other. Just staring. Blue on blue.

"You know I loved you Daryl Dixon?" She asks softly. His face scrunches in pain.

"Loved? What happened to_ always and forever_?"

Beth lets out a breath from her nose that sounds like a small laugh.

"Maybe I grew up," She said with a shrug, "Or maybe the world ended. Who knows. It's been years, Daryl. Years. We gotta talk 'bout it."

His whole body tensed and Beth felt her heart clench.

"You're daddy, Merle, the runnin'. We gotta talk, Daryl. We can't play this game anymore."

Daryl stood up roughly.

"Whose been playin' games, huh girl?" He asked angrily, "You the one that used to throw the L word around like it was a fucking game. Like we were gonna get married and have a handful of kids and live in that fucking town forever." He threw his free arm out, "All a damn game, girl. You're the one that wanted all this shit from me! Ain't gonna happen."

Beth shook her head and had an urge to roll her eyes. This whole outburst was just so.. so fucking Daryl.

"Sit down," She said softly but sternly. Daryl shook his head at her and began to pace like a wild animal traped in a cage. "I said sit down, Daryl Dixon."

So he does. But not without a look that clearly says, _'I wanted to sit down you didn't make me.'_ Beth wants to laugh. Yeah, okay.

"You're my best friend," Beth says. She sits up from the grass and scoots herself closer to him.

"You know that right?" she asks.

Daryl shrugs and tenses when she is close enough to rest her head on his shoulder. So she does. He is facing away from her and Beth can see the muscles in his neck and his chest tightening and relaxing over and over. She simply rests her forehead on the back of his shoulder. Presses her skin against his leather clad shoulder. Breathing warmth in and out, in and out.

She thinks she hears something from Daryl. She can feel his chest vibrate but it is said so softly that she doesn't even catch it.

She lifts her head and says, "Huh?"

Daryl groans, "Make me say it again?" Beth huffs out a laugh, "C'mon. Just say it."

"You're my mine," He says gently, "I mean... you're my..."

Beth laughs loudly then and pressed her face back against his shoulder.

"Oh my goodness," She says between laughter, "You've got the emotional maturity of a 3 year old." Daryl groans at her and Beth simply continues laughing.

When Beth's laughter dies down she lifts her head from Daryl's shoulder and whispers, "You think we will be okay? Here?"

Daryl turns over his shoulder to look at her. They stare into each others eyes for a moment, simply breathing each other in, before Daryl speaks.

"If we ain't," He says seriously, "If shit goes down. If Shane loses it, like I think he's goin' to. You and I, We get the fuck out of here. No lookin' back."

He regards her with a serious face and Beth nods. She gets it. She really does.

"Okay, okay."

Beth returns to leaning against Daryl and sighs out. They stay that way for who knows how long. For almost the entire day. When there is a chill in the air and Sophia is sent to fetch them for dinner is when they finally move. Beth doesn't leave Daryl's side. And she dares to think that they are children again.

And she dares to think that she loves him.

* * *

**I have 22 chapters of this story planned and that isn't even close to the end. uhoh.  
****I am definitely straying from the real story because that would be boring.  
****Honestly wish there were no zambies in this. Maybe I will write another version without the killer zombies.**

**Let me know what you think**

**-sorry for the mistakes- no beta-**


	8. A Doe caught in Headlights

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 8  
A Doe caught in Headlights

Beth likes Maggie. Yeah she is nice. She has big wide eyes and a sweet smile. Beth keeps looking over her face. Her smile always wide and toothy. Her hair dark and cut short around her face. Beth doesn't see the resemblance. Of course that isn't that big of a deal. Beth finds it easier like this. To not see herself in Maggie's eyes.

They are having tea in the kitchen of the farm house. Just simply talking. Beth notices that Maggie likes to do that. Talk. She likes to talk _a lot_. Beth notices quickly that Maggie has a thing for gossip. She asks a lot about Glenn and Beth has a feeling that Maggie has a bit of a crush on him.

"What about you then?" Maggie asks, taking a sip of her tea.

Beth smiles, "What_ about_ me?"

Maggie smirks, "Oh, come on. You and the big redneck."

Beth rolls her eyes, "Hey, we were both raised in south Georgia. It's real different down there."

"So you grew up together?" Maggie asks casually.

Beth nods, "Yeah we did."

Maggie looks Beth over and sighs, "Come on. Throw me a bone. Are you two... together?"

Beth shakes her head and looks at her hands wrapped around the tea mug.

Maggie tilts her head to the side, "So no?"

Beth sighs loudly and rolls her eyes, "Maggie." She says with a whine.

Maggie simply laughs at her. "It looks like you want to talk about it. I know you two care about each other. He looks at you like you hung the stars," Maggie says with a shrug. Beth looks at her with wide eyes, "You think?"

Her sister smiles, "I _know._"

Beth thinks about it for a moment. It wouldn't hurt to tell Maggie a little bit about her past. So she does. "We grew up in Claxton together. We.. we were really close when we were younger. Then, well, we had a falling out and we didn't talk for two years." Maggie's eyes go wide, "_two years?"_ Beth laughs shortly, "Yeah. Two whole years. Longest years of my life."

Beth runs her hands through her ponytail and tugs on the braid hanging there. She gives Maggie a sad smile and says, "I left Claxton when I was 15. Didn't come back. Didn't see Daryl for years... and I didn't exactly leave on good terms."

Maggie frowns, "I'm sorry, Beth. How did you meet him again? I mean before you got to the farm. After everything that happened."

They hadn't really been looking for each other. Beth realizes this. It had been a weird act of fate. That they found each other again. Maybe it was just the world playing a cruel joke on her.

"I was in Atlanta for a while. Began to head south and then suddenly the dead starting walking. So I stayed in the woods off of the highway. You know until I couldn't take solidarity anymore. When I came out of the woods it just so happened to be Daryl's brother Merle." Beth shrugs and smiles, "Maybe it's fate."

Maggie smiles slyly over her tea cup at Beth, "It sounds like it. Sounds like someone up there wants you two together." She points up to the sky jokingly.

Will. Will Dixon. He would do that. He would come back from the dead and force Daryl and Beth to be friends again. Although she really hoped that he wouldn't come back from the dead.

"Why did you leave? Claxton I mean. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Beth had been waiting for that. She knew it would come. Maggie liked gossip. But there was something about the way her sister was looking at her with big curious sad eyes that made Beth think that she geniounly cared. That she was actually interested. Beth bit her bottom lip. If she was going to tell anyone she should tell Maggie.

She opened her mouth to speak when the door to the house came flying open. Hershel came into the kitchen followed closely by Glenn. Hershel looked Beth over thoughtfully before looking to Maggie.

"Hi Daddy," Maggie says standing to hug her father.

Beth feels her throat dry and all words of the truth are gone. Swallowed up in her nerves.

"I have to go," Beth says suddenly. She jumps to her feet and heads straight to the door, "Thank you for the tea, Maggie," She calls before she closes the door and doesn't look back.

xxxXXxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXX

Beth Anne is gripping Daryl's hand incredibly tightly. She is tugging him quickly through the field of overgrown grass and cat tails. Her laugh is filling the air and filling Daryl's ears. He doesn't know why he just lets Beth Anne tug him along. But he does, without even thinking about it.

The grass is scratching against their knees and uncovered arms. The Georgia heat is settling in for the summer and it hangs around them everywhere they go.

Pepper pops out from around the grass and jumps ahead to the opening into the forest. Beth Anne and Daryl watch her jump up and around chasing squirrels up trees. Beth Anne giggles and pulls Daryl along through the grass. When they reach the end of the grassy field they are suddenly in woods. Thick, deep, green woods. The ground covered in fallen leaves and twigs.

"I know a really cool spot," Beth Anne says with a smile. She leans over and pulls Pepper into her arms. "There is a creek and some pretty flowers!" Pepper swats at Beth Anne's face playfully and purrs in her arms.

Beth Anne leads the way into the forest with a big smile on her face. Daryl smiles behind her and follows.

The sun is peaking through the tops of the trees and Daryl can't help but notice how Beth Anne's hair is almost radioactive. Glowing in the woods. The guiding angel.

Daryl slips around two trees after Beth Anne and finally sees what she means by "creek". It's more like a pond. a BIG pond. Daryl can see the fish making waves in the water.

"We can go fishing here," He says absently. Beth Anne looks over at him with a wide smile, "You know how to fish?"

Daryl nods and smiles, "We can go sometime."

Beth Anne happily agrees. They make their way over to the water which is clean and clear. The fish are visible from the surface. Large and swirling around each other. Beth Anne drops Pepper to the ground so that she can roam around and play with the fish.

Beth Anne and Daryl sit on the edge of the water. Their hands running over the cold stream over and over.

"Hey, look at that," Daryl says tapping his companion on the arm.

She looks over to see what he is pointing at. On the ground is a print. A distinct print that looks like a walnut, two small imprints next to each other.

"What is it?" She asks looking up at Daryl. His eyebrows are furrowed and he is concentrating on the tracks before him.

"It's a deer," He says softly. He looks up into the woods and follows the tracks with his eyes.

"Can we follow it?" Beth Anne asks happily. Daryl looks at her wide happy face and smiles and nods.

They grab Pepper and start out on their adventure.

The woods are cooler than anywhere else. The canopy of leaves keeping the sun off of their skin.

Daryl concentrates on the tracks below them. He stops every so often to check them more closely before nodding and continuing on his way. Beth Anne admires him from afar. Watching him in his little world. Tracking animals. Living in the woods. Carrying himself like a true child of the forest.

Beth Anne doesn't see him stop. Soon she is bumping into his back.

"Whoa," She says. He turns quickly with his finger over his lip telling her to be silent.

Beth Anne leans over and looks around Daryl's shoulder.

There, in a clearing near the trees is a deer. A doe to be exact. Her fur is smooth and light.

Beth Anne steps forward and around Daryl to get a better look. Another step and soon she is tripping over a root. Pepper jumps from her arms just as Beth Anne slips and collapses against the forest ground.

She looks up quickly to see that the deer is gone.

"Damn!" Beth says loudly.

Daryl snorts and then puts his hands on her arms and helps her up.

"You're bleedin'," He says softly. Beth Anne sits on the root with a huff. A sad tear slips from her eye.

"Does it hurt?" Daryl asks as he looks over Beth Anne's cut up legs. She shakes her head and rubs her eyes.

"What's the matter then?" He asks. Beth Anne shakes her head and says, "I scared the deer away."

Daryl smiles at her softly. All of the softness that an 8 year old can manage. "It's okay Beth Anne," He says, "Don't worry about it. S'just a deer. There are a lot of them in the woods."

Beth looks at him and nods. "It does hurt," She whispers out.

Daryl pulls his shirt over his head and begins to clean the cuts over her knees. When they are both as clean as he can get them he bends forward and kisses them lightly.

"All better," He says with a smile. Beth looks at him with surprise and then smiles back.

They walk back to the campground hand in hand with Pepper running around them.

XxxXXXxxXXXxxXXXxxXXXxxXXXxx

When Beth leaves the house the first person she looks for is Daryl.

When she finally spots him she sees that he is standing near the cars with Rick.

She jogs over to them.

"We have to find a new place to stay," Rick says, "This ain't gonna work for too long."

Beth comes up behind him with a raised eyebrow, "Why do you think it ain't going to work?"

Rick looks over at Beth with surprise and then sighs. "They don't trust us. And I don't rightly trust them."

"We have no reason to trust them," Daryl speaks up looking at Beth suddenly. She feels the weight of those blue eyes and sees the mistrust in them. They hold that for everyone.

"They saved Carl," Beth says defensively, "They saved him and then they let us stay here. _Those people_ trust us."

Rick silently watches Beth thoughtfully.

"We still can't stay," He says finally, "Hershel is gettin' antsy. He wants us gone soon."

Beth nods and looks over to Daryl. His face is downcast. When he looks up and catches her eyes he simply nods at her.

Glenn comes up from the house with Maggie in toe.

"Hey Rick," Glenn calls, "Maggie and I are going on a run we will be back."

Rick looks over his shoulder and nods at Glenn. Maggie smiles at Beth before the two turn and begin to walk towards where the horses are held.

Rick sighs for the hundredth time that day and says, "That boy is going to make this complicated."

Beth can't help but agree.

They all turn back to the map that is sitting on the hood of the car. It shows the surrounding areas near them. The woods, the town, and a little beyond it. Rick points to a spot on the map and says, "This is where we are right now. At the farm." Beth examines the map and looks all around the farm. There isn't anything for miles. Some of the main road has buildings but they are most likely over run and being out in the open isn't the safest place to be for them. She rubs her hand absently over her wrist and stares at the parchment.

"Maybe we can get out of Senoia," Beth says calmly, "Do we have a map of the other towns around us?"

Rick pulls over the paper and pulls out more maps. One of Atlanta and another of a town not far from Senoia.

Daryl leans over and puts a finger on the map of the other town. "There's a prison here," He stats, "Maybe we can take it. We can empty the place out. Make it ours."

Rick nods thoughtfully and pulls the map closer so he can look at it.

"We can head out of Senoia, take the highway West towards..." Before he can finish there is a loud female scream.

"Where is Carl!?"

They all turn to see Lori heading towards them. Her eyes wide with fear. Carol is not too far behind her face just as distraught.

"I can't find Sophia!"

Beth doesn't want to say what she thinks. But it is along the lines of, maybe if you both _spent time_ with your kids then you would know where they are. She stays silent as Lori goes straight to Rick.

"I don't know where he is, Rick," Lori exasperates, "We were by the barn and then suddenly they are both gone!"

Beth looks over to Daryl who nods and pulls his crossbow over his back.

"We'll go," he says gesturing to Beth and himself.

Lori looks at them with wide wet eyes and nods.

Rick looks over to Shane who is walking towards them from the tents.

"Shane and I will go," Rick says, "We will all look together. For Carl _and _Sophia."

Lori and Carol turn into each other and hug as the two separate groups split apart.

Beth and Daryl heading towards one side of the farm and Rick and Shane going to the other.

"Do you think we will find them?" Beth asks as they break into the woods around the farm. Daryl looks over at her and shrugs, "We can try."

He may not have said that he was determined. But Beth could see it. The way his shoulders are tense and his eyes are sharp on the ground searching for any signs of tracks.

_We will find them, _Beth tells herself, _we will find them._

* * *

**next chapter is done! Ayyeeee  
I'm working through this story so fast right now. boooom**


	9. Carl, The Woods, And Missy Shay

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 9  
Carl, The Woods, and Missy Shay

The woods were eerily quiet as Daryl and Beth crept through them. Daryl had his eyes stuck to the ground watching for tracks as Beth kept her gun raised and her eyes shifting all over the forest around them.

The silence was becoming unbearable. Beth knew why Daryl was being so quiet. They had a moment yesterday. Yeah spending the whole day holding onto each other (Mostly one sided on Beth's part) was definitely a moment. But Daryl didn't love her. It hurt to think about that. It really did. It stung- all the way to her toes.

A twig broke and cracked the silence like a gunshot. Beth jumped only to realize that she had been the one to step on the twig.

Daryl caught her eye and sent her a quick glare.

She gave him a look that read, 'fuck off.' He rolled his eyes and continued to look at the ground. Carl's track is light and low. A true child of the forest.

_Just like Daryl, _she thinks to herself.

She watches Daryl in front of her. His angel wings guiding her through the dark forest like a guardian angel. Like the light at the end of the tunnel beckoning her to come forward.

"Is it much farther?" Beth asks. Daryl stiffens for a second as if he didn't expect her to speak at all.

"Nah, these are fresh," He says absently pointing to the imprint of Carl's boot in the soft soil.

"Do you think he's okay?" She asks softly.

Daryl doesn't answer. Instead he begins moving forward again.

Beth wants to scream. His silence is eating her alive.

_So typical. So fucking typical._

_"Can't trust nobody for nothin'," _She hears Merle now, _"Gotta do it all on your own." _

With a brother like that Beth isn't surprised that Daryl can't let anyone in. Not even her.

She continues to stare at his back in silence. The wings on Daryl's vest shine in front of her, as if they are just waiting for the queue to take flight. She doesn't remember him every having that vest... when they were kids at least. Something tells her that there are many things that she doesn't know about Daryl Dixon anymore.

She wishes she could step forward and run her fingers over the worn fabric. Take in the soft smell of leather and woods.

She was so engrossed in her own world that she hadn't seen the walker coming.

Soon she is falling sideways. Dead hands clinging and pulling her upwards towards an open, rotting mouth.

She screams sharply and raises the gun to hit the walker back.

She figures out she dropped the gun when her bare palm hits the walker's face. She pushes it back as well as she can, against it's overpowering strength.

A moment later a knife is sinking into the side of the walkers head and the body goes limp above her.

Daryl drags the body off in one smooth motion.

"The hell was that?" He asks angrily. He pulls her to her feet roughly and releases her too soon, that she is stumbling forward blindly.

"What did it look like? It came out of no where!" She hisses back.

Daryl glares at her with a burning intensity. He steps into her space and points a finger dangerously close to her face.

"You don't fucking pay attention! You gotta pay attention out here! You'll be dead if you don't!" He is yelling and Beth can see the veins in his forehead clear as day.

Her eyes narrow and she pushes him back firmly, Her hands flat on his shoulders.

"You my chaperone now, Daryl Dixon?" She yells, "I can take care of myself! I _had _that!"

Daryl shakes his head. He continues to fume as he takes a step back to the trail that Carl left behind him.

"I ain't fightin' you on this. Go ahead and get yerself killed. I don't give a shit," He bites back to her.

Beth feels her breath hitch and her eyes water in reaction.

She sees Daryl's shoulders stiffen immediately at the sound of her intake of breath.

"You don't mean that," She whispers. Her tears are falling in clumps down her face.

"I get it," She whispers out, "You're scared. But I ain't gonna die. I made it this far. I was by myself and I made it. So you don't get to push me away cause your scared."

Daryl looks over his shoulder back at her and says, "You don't know shit. Don't care what happens to you, Beth. Never did."

Beth opens her mouth to reply when a sharp scream fills the air.

"Daryl!"

They both turn to the sound of the voice.

"It's Carl!" Beth hollers.

They both take off in the direction of the voice. Their arms going out to cut through the trees and bushes around them. They move in sync. Navigating the forest as easily as they used to when they were children.

Beth notices it, they way his arm is out in front of her so that none of the branches snap back and hit her in the face.

He used to do that when they were young. After the first time she got hit square in the cheek with a thick twig. Now it was like instinct.

Beth pushed it out of her mind as they make their way to a swampy part of the woods.

"Daryl! Beth!" Carl's voice rings out.

They see him in the distance. His leg is stuck deep in a patch of mud. A walker, who seems to be sinking as fast as Carl is, is reaching out to the boy with gnarled hands.

Daryl raises his crossbow and fires, shooting the walker above the ear.

Beth runs around the mud pile and grabs at Carl's shirt. She pulls him with all of her strength. The only responce she gets is a popping sound from the mud below them.

"I'm stuck!" Carl says hastily. His little face is twisted in fear and worry, "I can't get out of this! I don't know what to do!"

"Don't panic," Beth says quickly, "We are gonna get you out of here." She looks over to Daryl and signals him to come over to her. His glare does not falter as he makes his way towards Beth.

"Hold on to my hand, okay?" Beth asks as she reaches out and takes a hold of Carl's forearm.

Daryl comes up behind her and wraps his hands around her waist. As she pulls, Daryl pulls her back harder. The sound of the mud popping below Carl's feet gets louder and louder as they free him from the sticking concoction.

"Almost," Beth says breathlessly as she gives another tug on Carl's arm. His face is twisted in pain as Beth's hands rub the skin of his arm roughly.

"I'm sorry, Carl. Almost there," She says reassuringly. Daryl pulls her back in a swift tug and soon Carl is stumbling out of the mud and Beth is falling backwards into Daryl's chest.

He doesn't hesitate to push her away from him which causes Beth to nearly fall on top of Carl.

Carl's eyes widen at the sudden movement. He watches as Beth's, calm sweet gentle Beth, face contorts into pure rage.

"Don't you feel anything!" She screams turning on Daryl like a wild animal, "Huh!? I guess you think you can just shove people around and keep them at arms distance! What happened in the span of 12 hours that you are suddenly pushing me away again! After _everything!" _Her voice cracks and breaks. She pushes the hair out of her eyes and feels the wetness there. Tears are streaming all over again.

"You're an idiot!" She screams, "You're afraid of lovin' me and I get it! After your mama!"

Daryl cuts her off and takes a sudden step forward his finger raising to point at her aggressively.

"Shut your mouth," He growls.

"NO!" Beth yells. They are chest to chest and both of their breaths are mixing and mingling in puffs of anger.

"It's Bullshit!" she spits out, "You can't keep pretendin' that you feel nothin', Daryl Dixon!"

He doesn't respond and simply continues to glare at her angrily.

The sound of a walker groaning becomes too loud to bare.

Carl comes up behind Beth and grabs one of her hands.

"We need to go!" He says desperately, "There are a few of them!"

Beth and Daryl both turn to see the 4 walkers ambling towards them. Beth spares one last glance to Daryl before turning on her heel. She pulls out her gun and takes 4 short shots taking out all of the walkers in a single breath.

She looks back to Daryl and glares.

"I can take care of myself," She spits out.

Carl let's Beth pull him behind her back through the woods and towards the farm. Beth doesn't care if Daryl Dixon is following her or not. He can stay in the woods and rot for all she cares.

They make it back to the farm in a short jog. As they get closer to the house Beth sees Lori running out the front door towards them.

"Carl!" She cries. Beth let's go of Carl's arm but never stops moving. She goes straight to the farm and up the porch and into the front door.

She looks around for Maggie but doesn't see her. She must still be on that run.

"Glad you got that boy back," A low voice says from the corner of the room.

Beth whips her head around to find Hershel Greene leaning on the door frame of the living room. He watches her closely as Beth shifts in her position in the living room.

"I'm sorry," She says gently finding it difficult to breath, "I just wanted to see if Maggie was back."

Hershel nods and steps off of the frame. Beth's eyes follow him as he walks over towards the mantel piece across the room. He hovers over a photograph in a dark wood frame before lifting it up and looking it over with sad eyes.

"She's just like her mother," Hershel says thoughtfully, "Always runnin' around. Always being too stubborn and brave." He looks the picture over before stepping over to Beth and handing it to her.

"That was my late wife," He says pointing to the dark haired woman in the photo. She has wide bright eyes and Beth can almost see them shining green even though the photograph is black and white.

"She's beautiful," Beth whispers. This isn't her mother, Beth realizes. The fact that her and Maggie look nothing alike suddenly makes much more sense.

"She was my second wife," He says simply, "Got killed in a car accident. Started drinking. Lost all of my money and my way."

Beth looks up to Hershel then as he simply takes the photograph out of her hand.

"I was a mess. A hard man. Worn through the pain of loss. Couldn't imagine ever loving someone again," He steps back over to the mantel and places the frame in its original spot. He takes a step to the side and picks up another one. A frame that is a lighter wood finish. Beth decides to follow him over to the mantel instead of having him go back and forth with the old photos.

She stops beside him and looks down at the light wood frame. In the photo is a woman that she knows clearly as her mother. The familiar face from a photo that Beth studied over and over in the last 7 years of her life.

Hershel tilts the photograph towards Beth so that she can get a good view of it.

"Annette," He says pointing towards the blonde woman in the photo, "Saved my life. Took care of Maggie when I was in fits of drunkenness, even brought food over and tried to take care of the house. Couldn't help but fall in love with her."

Beth looks up from the picture to the others on the mantel. Now that she is up close she can get a good look at all of the faces. All of the people important in her life.

Her eyes fall on a small black frame and her breath hitches in her throat.

She reaches out and picks up the small photo and stares at it.

_Missy._

The woman that raised Beth is there. Her hair up in a bun and a wide smile on her face. It was Missy as Beth had only seen her a few rare times. She was young, young and beautiful. Her eyes shining in the sun.

Hershel simple stares at Beth as she examines the photo.

"That was Annette's daughter," He says simply, "Well her step-daughter. Annette adopted her after her father died. Her name was Melissa, Missy as she went by when she was young."

Beth looks up from the photograph to Hershel. She swallows the lump forming in her throat and asks, "What happened to her?"

Hershel remains silent and then takes the photo from Beth's hand and replaces it on the mantel place.

"That's a story for another day," He says. He smiles and then turns and walks towards the windows in the living room. Beth follows him and looks out over the farm. She can see Daryl heading back from the woods a dark look on his face.

"Why did you tell me all that?" Beth asks, "You don't know me."

Hershel looks down at Beth and says,

"I see a lot of things, little'un. I see the way that man and you are. When I see a boy like Daryl I know what they have been through. Know that they are tortured. He must have lost something very important to him for him to be shutting people out."

Beth turns to look into Hershel's kind blue eyes.

"Love is a complicated thing," He says before looking back out the window and towards Daryl and the group, "You'll just have to keep reminding him."

Beth inhales sharply and then whispers out, "What if love isn't enough?"

Hershel smiles and then says, "Love is _always_ enough. It has no conditions. But one condition."

They stand in silence in front of the window for several moments. Soon Hershel excuses himself, leaving Beth standing alone in her biological parents' home replaying Hershel's words in her head over and over.

_No conditions, but one condition._

XXxxxxXXxxXXxxXXXxxXXxxxXX

Daryl doesn't talk to anyone in the group for the rest of the day. He storms off into the woods after being told that Sophia was still missing. He keeps his crossbow high and alert as he lurks through the trees.

_Fucking Beth and her fucking bullshit_.

He isn't angry at her. He knows that. In fact if he is angry at anyone it would be himself. He had fucked up (like he always does). He went and told her that he didn't care what happened to her. It wasn't true. He did care. He cared _a lot _actually and that is what scared him.

_"After your mama..."_

She had to bring it up. She just had to. Of course she did. Beth could read him like a book. Ever since they were small. It was like Beth had a secret book with all of his thoughts written in it. She always knew. When he chewed his thumb she knew he was worried about something, when he was angry or had outbursts she knew that Merle had said something to him. And when he screamed at her, he knew it was because of Leighanne. She always just knew.

He imagines his mom sometimes. Her long golden hair. Her big wide eyes. Her loving smile. He likes to imagine her before she started drinking. When she was young and elegant and in love with his dad. He doesn't like to think about the mother that would sit on the couch all day staring at nothing, nursing a bottle of vodka. Daryl pretends that that woman never existed. It makes it easier. It makes it hurt less.

Beth was all of those things. The things that his mother was before. She was kind and wonderful and beautiful. She was everything. She was his world. But that was too much. Daryl knows it, has known it for years. It was _too_ much. Loving Beth Shay was too fucking much.

He drops his crossbow and throws a punch at the closest tree in frustration. His anger is boiling in him like a tea kettle.

He punches the hard tree again and then groans at the sensation of his knuckles tearing.

He drops his fists and turns to lean back against the tree.

_Fucking Beth Shay._

_Fuck loving Beth Shay. _

He closes his eyes and lets out a deep breath.

He was very fucked.

* * *

**yayyyy. Angsty angst is awesome. **

**enjoy!**

**Shout out to my amazing Beta: Yourroyalyaverageprincess! **


	10. The Life and Times of Carl Grimes

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 10  
The life and Times of Carl Grimes

Daryl's been carrying himself like a dead man. Rick notices it, Glenn notices it, hell even Carol notices it.

Everyone sees him sulking more than usual and staying as far away from the group as he can manage. Carl is the one that finally says something about it.

"I think Daryl and Beth are fighting," Carl mentions to Rick one day.

They have been searching for Sophia at all hours. Sending out search parties to scope areas of the woods. No one has found her. Out of all of them Daryl is the one who stays out the most. Doesn't come back until it's dark and then leaves again when the sun is just rising.

Rick looks down at his son and raises an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

Carl looks over to where Beth is doing laundry. She has a focused look on her face, her nose scrunched up as she vigorously scrubs at a blood stained shirt.

"Well," Carl begins, "When they found me in the woods they got into a huge fight. They screamed at each other. Beth grabbed me and we walked off when it was finished."

Rick nods in understanding. He didn't get the odd pair. Beth was like a breath of fresh air. A light breeze on a summers day. And then there was Daryl. Who resembled a lone wolf. A crack in the fire in the dead of night.

Rick looks over to where Beth is cleaning. It makes sense that they had fought. It happens, is what Rick thinks to himself, him and Lori have gotten into spats. Nothing that they couldn't get over in a few days.

Carl leans forward and Rick is drawn back to look at his son.

"Daryl told Beth that he doesn't care what happens to her," Carl says softly. There isn't anyone around to eavesdrop on them. There is something about an 11 year old boy gossiping that makes Rick want to smile.

"It was bad," Carl concludes. He leans away from his dad and then scans the area around them.

"Is love that complicated?" He asks shyly, "I mean... When you love someone. Do you fight with them?"

Rick scratches his chin in thought. Yeah, you fight. Sometimes over the little things. Sometimes over the big ones. But in this world there could be a million more reasons. Fear. fear could drive anyone to say anything.

Rick leans downward so he is eye level with Carl.

"I think," Rick says, "That when you love someone as much as Daryl loves Beth you would do anything to protect them. No one lives forever, especially now. Life is something that can be taken quickly- suddenly."

Rick lets the seep into his son's brain before continuing, "I don't think he yelled at Beth to hurt her, Carl. He's just afraid."

"Are you afraid?" Carl asks looking at his dad seriously.

Rick thinks about that. Of course he does. How do you tell someone that looks up to you that you are terrified? Scared out of your mind?

Rick nods then, because it's better to tell the truth than to lie. "Of course I am, son. Everyone is afraid. Just depends on what you do with that fear that matters."

Carl nods and accepts that answer for everything that it is.

"Do you think they will make up?" He asks looking over to beth once again.

Rick shrugs, "I don't know. They might need to figure it out on their own. Or they might need a push."

Csrl looks at his dad and then a smile grows on his face.

"Do you think we can help them?" Carl asks excitedly.

"What you want to set them up or something?" Rick asks in amusement. Carl nods feverishly.

"Son, there are a lot more things that need to be done on this farm other than setting Daryl and Beth up together. What about Sophia? She is still missing out there," Rick states.

Carl's face falls suddenly and Rick knows that he said the wrong thing.

_'He wants to keep his mind off it,_' Rick thinks, _'He's just a kid. He's scared.'_

"We will find her," Rick says with conviction. He pats his son's shoulder. "Why don't you go play matchmaker? I can call you over if I need help. Okay?"

Carl nods slowly and flashes his dad a half smile before taking off in the direction of beth.

'_He's just a kid,_' Rick reminds himself again, _'Just a kid._'

XxxxXXXxxCcCcCCXXZZ

Beth is pretty sure that if she rubs the shirt in her hands any harder than it will rip apart.

She's frustrated. Of course she is. Daryl is being a dick, Sophia is missing, her dad seems to be onto her secret, and Maggie is definitely fucking Glenn behind everyone's backs.

It's complicated. It's getting really complicated.

_'When did my life become a daytime drama?' _Beth wonders as she looks down to the shirt in her hand.

Probably the moment she walked out her front door and met Daryl Dixon.

She sighs heavily and drops the shirt into the bucket of soapy water. It thuds against the plastic and sinks to the bottom.

"Hey, Beth," a small voice says from beside her.

Beth looks down to see Carl Grimes standing next to her. His eyes are wide and happy and a smile is playing on his lips. He almost looks like he has a secret hidden in his little brain.

"Hey, Carl," beth replies. She plucks on her best fake smile as she looks at him. "What's goin' on?"

Carl sways back and forth. "Oh nothing. Just wanted to see what you're up to," he replies.

_'Little liar.'_

"What is it Carl? It looks like you have a something you wanna say," Beth says this lightly and teasingly.

Carl looks horror struck at her words.

"Oh... Um... It's nothing!" He says quickly. Beth almost smiles at the way his cheeks turn red.

"What is it?" Beth asks sweetly, "I won't judge. Honest! Ask me anything."

Carl considers this for a moment. He scratches his chin just like his father does when he is in thought.

"Do you and Daryl love each other?" he asks nervously.

Beth's eyes widen at that.

"Well..." She begins and then falls silent.

Carl speaks up for her, "Well my dad told me that sometimes when you love someone you get into fights because you're scared."

Beth gets it then. Immediately it clicks. Carl is worried about her. Worried about how she feels after the way Daryl yelled at her in the woods the other day.

Sure she's upset. Yeah, of course she is. But she gets it. That time that she was alone she was terrified. Scared out of her mind that everyone she knows was dead. Even Daryl. And that was the worst part.

Beth bends her knees and lowers herself in front of Carl.

"A smart man told me recently that love is really complicated," she says this softly and with a small light smile. She takes one of Carl's hands into her own and squeezes it gently.

"It can make you feel a lot of things. Maybe he's just scared," Beth says with a shrug, "I don't know. But you don't have to worry about it. If I've made it this far then I think I can deal with Daryl Dixon." Beth winks at Carl before releasing his hand and standing up.

"Is it true you grew up together?" Carl asks, "I heard Maggie say something like that to my mom."

_'Damn that girl really loves talking.'_

Beth nods, "I did grow up with him."

She returns her attention to the bucket of clothes and continues to clean.

Carl moves closer to her so he can talk to her as she works.

"What was he like?" Carl asks, "before?" Before Beth can answer that question, he is asking another loudly, "What were _you _like before?"

Beth smiles over to Carl then says,

"I was a wild child. Used to run around the forest in my spare time. Daryl beside me. We grew up next door. Thick as thieves. My.. My mom wasn't too good to me, so Daryl and his daddy used to take care of me a lot."

Carl nods beside her and continues to watch and listen as Beth scrubs clothes rhythmically.

"A lot can happen in a few years. Daryl and I fell apart. I made a mistake. Jumped a gun and said something that really hurt him. Scared him even. I lost a good friend," Beth says with a shrug, "It happens."

"Is that why he is angry?" Carl asks tilting his head up to beth.

She shrugs, "I don't know. There is a lot to be upset about." She pauses her cleaning. "I think that.. When you grow up and watch someone you love fall apart and eventually die, it changes you. And when you lose another person not far after that it really changes you. Plus, the only adult figure in your life is a bad person. Getting into trouble left and right. It can make it hard for you to feel things. You just go numb after a while."

Carl quietly asks, "Is that what happened to Daryl?"

Beth looks down to the boy with sad eyes. She nods and then returns to her clothing.

"Everyone is different, Carl," she states, "Everyone deals with pain differently."

Carl nods as if he gets it. He probably does. He may be young but he sees it. Sees the way people are. He sees the way Andrea is, standing off from everyone, flipping like a coin on Dale or Lori. He understands it as well as any adult would.

"Are you two gonna make up?" Carl asks.

Beth looks down to the boy and nods, "yeah. We will. Not before I give him a piece of my mind, of course."

Carl smiles wide at that. He thinks that's a good idea.

xxXxxXxxXxxXxxXxxXx

Carl doesn't find Daryl until it is dark outside. Rick side eyes him as he crawls out of his tent to go confront the older man.

"What?"Carl asks innocently, "I have to pee."

Rick shrugs comically and then waves his son off. He knows perfectly well that Carl does not need to use the bathroom. But he isn't worried. He trusts Daryl as much as he trusts himself.

Carl scurries off into the night to where Daryl and Beth have their tents set up. He runs up to the small fire and sees Daryl sitting in the dark by himself.

The gruff man looks up to Carl and nods.

"Beth ain't here," he says roughly, "Probably up at the farmhouse or somethin'"

Carl sits down across the fire from Daryl and ignores the confused look the older man gives him.

"I actually wanted to talk to you," Carl says.

"Shoot," daryl grunts out. He chews his thumb as he looks across the fire to Carl.

Well, shit.

He didn't think he would actually get this far.

He can't be as blunt with his questions as he was with Beth. Daryl is like a feral cat. You stroke it the wrong way and the thing goes wild.

Carl scratches his chin in thought. Then an idea comes to him. They think he's just some kid right?

_'I'll just play the role'_ he decides.

"Are you and Beth together?" Carl asks trying to sound innocent and curious.

"What you mean?" Daryl grunts out.

Carl smiles wide internally but keeps his face as straight as he can.

"Are you two.. You know... Like my mom and dad?"

Daryls eyes almost pop out of his head.

"We ain't married if that's what you're askin'?" Daryl grunts out.

"Hm, so you wouldn't mind if beth and say... Shane got together?"

It was the first person to pop in his head. Of course he knows that Beth and Shane aren't going to get together. In fact, he is doing all of this so that Beth and Daryl will finally get together. He just hopes he does it right. He _is_ only 11.

Daryl's eyes narrow ever so slightly. "Whats that mean?" He asks roughly.

Carl continues to play innocent.

"Well," Carl says, "I saw them talking today" (which isn't true) "and they both seem pretty close."

Daryl's eyes narrow more and more with each word.

"She can do what she wants," he grunts and then chews on his thumb with a new intensity.

"You sure?" Carl asks dragging out the last syllable more than he should.

Daryl stops chewing his thumb and looks at Carl. Something close to amusement is on his face.

"Boy," Saryl starts, "you tryin to make me jealous or somethin?"

Carl realizes that he just lost his chance to do this subtly.

He sighs loudly, "I just think that Beth deserves to be happy. She's been pretty upset since that thing that happened in the woods."

Daryl stills and his face falters.

"I can't make her happy, kid," Daryl states.

Carl shakes his head in disagreement.

"Why are you doing that?" Carl asks as he continues to stare at Daryl over the fire.

Daryl raises his eyebrows, "What?"

"Acting tough. Like you don't feel anything. It's just one person out of the whole world. I think everyone will still think your a badass if you date Beth."

"Don't swear, boy. And there ain't no such thing as datin' in the end of the world," Daryl drawls out.

Carl sighs loudly.

"That's all the more reason! You could die tomorrow! Beth could die tomorrow! I could do tomorrow!" Carl says loudly, "Why fight?"

Carl feels himself growing more and more upset by each word.

"I just want everyone to be happy," Carl says darkly. He looks down at the ground sadly.

Daryl sighs, "I was a dick,I know."

Carl looks back up to Daryl across the fire.

"I'll fix it okay?" Daryl asks looking Carl in the eyes, "Okay?"

Carl nods his face lifting from its earlier sad expression.

"Get some sleep now," Daryl insists, "Go on. I'll take to Beth. I promise."

Carl looks at Daryl as if he doesn't believe him.

"Promise?" Carl asks.

Daryl sighs loudly and stands from the fire. He kicks some dirt over it shrowdkng them in darkneS.

"I'll go right now. C'mom," Daryl says before nodding in the direction of the farm.

Carl smiles brightly and nods.

They start walking across the field Carl keeping step beside Daryl.

When they get to Rick they stop.

Carl looks at daryl, "You gotta talk to her, okay?"

Daryl nods before ruffling some of Carl's hair.

"I'm goin," he says. He nods towards Rick before walking away from the tents and heading towards the farmhouse.

Carl smiles happily and sits down across from his father.

"What was that about?" Rick asks a knowing smirk on his face.

"Just wanted to make things right," Carl tells him with a shrug.

Rick wonders when his son became an expert in love.

XXxXxXxXxxXxXxXx

Beth is sitting in the living room of the farmhouse when there is a knock at the front door. Maggie, who is sitting beside her with a cup of tea in her hand, looks up in confusion.

"Wonder who that is," she says looking over to Beth.

Maggie stands from the couch and places her cup of tea on the coffee table. She makes her way over to the front door and pulls it open.

"Oh," Maggie says lightly, "Hey, Daryl."

Beth stands from the couch and peaks around Maggie to see Daryl. He grunts out a response.

"Can I talk to Beth?" He asks looking over Maggie's shoulder towards the blonde girl in front of him.

Beth nods to him.

"I'll see you later, Maggie," Beth says. She walks past her sister and gives her a reassuring look before stepping out of the farm house and onto the front porch.

The night is quiet and warm. The buzzing of cicadas is the only sound accompanying them.

Daryl leans against the porch railing and shoves his hands into his pockets.

"I've been an idiot," he says in a low grunt, "an asshole."

Beth tilts her head to the side and watches him.

He brings one of his hands up to his lips and chews on his thumb.

"I've been... I've been treatin' you bad since you found us," he says gently. He shakes his head and let's his hand fall to his side.

"When you left," he says gently, "I went off with merle. You know? After my dad died. We just took off. Spent our time driving around Georgia. Doing whatever Merle wanted to do that day. Sellin' drugs, breaking into stores, bein' fuckin' stupid."

Beth doesn't make a move to say anything as she watches him.

"I'm a dick," he says, "I know."

He looks up to Beth and let's out a long low sigh.

"I didn't mean to treat you so bad," he says darkly, "Just don't know how to be with you anymore."

Beth steps forward then hesitates.

"I regret it," he says gently, "all the shit Merle and I did. I kept thinkin' maybe, maybe we'll run into Beth again. Maybe she'll kick my ass into shape. Maybe she'll see what we're doin' and she'll force me to come home with her."

He goes silent at that. Beth steps forward again and reaches out to him.

Her hands fall onto his wrists and pulls his hands up and into her own.

"I'm sorry," he whispers so softly that Beth isn't sure if he actually said it, "Don't hate you, Beth."

She nods and smiles weakly up to him.

"I know. I know you don't."

"Scared the hell out of me, girl," he says gently looking into her crystal blue eyes, "When that walker fell on you..."

Beth nods in understanding.

"I know." She whispers out.

"Scared I'd lose you again," he rumbles.

Beth nods and takes another step forward, "I know."

She kisses him. It's nothing really, just a kiss. But in that moment it means everything.

And, it's almost like they have done this their entire lives. And maybe they have. The looks, the touches, the whispers. Maybe they have been kissing each other ever since they met. Maybe it just took until now for both of them to realize it. For Daryl to realize it.

She drops his hands and brings her arms up to hold onto the front of his shirt.

Her lips are warm and soft against his. He isn't sure what to do. He's kissed girls before yeah, but not Beth Shay. No- no girl like Beth Shay.

He raises his hands hesitantly and brings them up to cup her face. It's slow and hesitant. And it takes several moments before Daryl begins to ease his lips against hers.

Soon their opening their lips against each other. Beth sighs into his mouth and Daryl's head begins to swim.

He's kissing her and she's kissing him, and it feels like everything finally makes sense. Like all of the fighting and yelling and hurting, actually meant something.

He may not be able to say what. Maybe not now, but he knows that if he has the ability to love anyone, which he is still trying to figure out, then he is indefinitely in love with Beth.

He rubs his calloused thumbs across the soft expanse of her cheeks.

When Beth slips her tongue into his mouth a fire starts in his veins. As if she has just breathed life into him.

He kisses her back. Hard and soft all at once. Warm and intense.

He pulls her closer with his hands and Beth digs her fingers into his chest. Like if she let go then he would disappear. Maybe he would. Maybe he would float away into oblivion if he stops kissing her.

When they slowly pull apart their lips remain inches from each other's. Daryl rests his forehead against Beth's and let's out a shaky breath.

"You're all I got left," Daryl whispers.

Beth smiles and then presses her lips up against his again.

"I know," she responds.

And Daryl thinks that she's always known. And she will always know. No matter what.

He pulls back to wrap his arms around her shoulders tightly. She falls into his chest and melts against him.

She wraps her arms around his waist tightly and rests her cheek over his heart.

"I told Carl I would give you a piece of my mind when I saw you," Beth whispers against his chest.

Daryl lets out a rare chuckle that vibrates his whole body.

Beth smiles and pulls back slightly so she can look up at him.

She pulls out of his arms and then lifts her hand to smack his arm.

He raises an amused eyebrow at her.

"That's for yelling at me," she says a small smile on her face.

He shrugs, "I'm a dick."

"I know," Beth giggles out.

Daryl rolls his eyes. He lifts his arms to her waist and lifts her off of the ground in a swift motion.

Beth lets out a small shriek before dissolving into laughter.

Daryl hoists her onto his shoulder and starts to carry her back to their tents.

"Heavier than you look," he grunts out teasingly.

Beth smacks his back lightly and then laughs loudly.

xx

Rick sits by Carl as they watch Daryl and Beth on the porch.

"Did good," Rick says gently nudging his son. Carl smiles wide and shrugs at his dad.

"Just needed a little push, right?"

Rick smiles at his son and ruffles his hair.

A shriek comes from the porch followed by a laugh. They both look towards Daryl and Beth.

"Gonna wake the dead," Rick says jokingly. Carl laughs happily.

Suddenly another scream draws them all up from were they are sitting. Rick looks to Daryl who has brought Beth back down the the ground. He places his hand onto his knife readily.

Glenn comes into view running full speed towards the camp.

"Walkers in the barn!" He yells as he sprints towards Rick.

"They're keeping walkers in the barn!"

Ricks mouth falls open in shock.

The farm isn't safe... The farm isn't safe.

* * *

**ahhh finally!  
I know alot of people were upset with the fight in the last chapter but I think that it was really ****necessary. There are years and years of feelings between the two of them that needed to come out. Plus they both feel like the other betrayed them so they needed to understand the other person, you know? Anyway, the fighting is mostly over and now we are moving onto romanceeee and some bad stuff. (:**

**Let me know what you think!**

**Shout out to my amazing beta: yourroyalyaverageprincess**


	11. The Hardest Part is Over

_Will Dixon was a just man. He was misunderstood but he never let his boys go without. Daryl was raised to be a good kid. To always listen, to learn from his mistakes, and to someday be a better man than his father had been. Beth Shay is being raised by a cracked out woman who had adopted Beth when her real family left her. As Beth and Daryl grow up next door to each other and take separate yet similar paths in life they have to learn how to survive in a world that doesn't understand them. Of course they were doing pretty well until the dead started walking._

_If Beth and Daryl grew up together.  
If they met before the apocalypse.  
If Beth had a similar backstory as Daryl._

_**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, violence, drug use, and other themes. Take caution when reading. Thank you.**_

* * *

Part 11  
The Hardest Part is Over

There are a lot of moments in Daryl's life that he regrets. He regrets that one woman from Florida that he screwed at a bar in Atlanta. He regrets totalling Merle's motorcycle because he was pissed off at the world. But most importantly he regrets not loving Beth Shay sooner.

It's probably the danger that is hanging over them, that has to be it. That has to be why he regrets taking his sweet ass time being with her. It could all end tomorrow, everything in this world, everything that they have. It could be gone in the blink of an eye.

He really wishes it hadn't taken him so long to make sense of his feelings. He had years. Years of growing up with Beth to show him what love is.

He told her that he wasn't afraid of anything. But he's terrified of losing her. He wasn't afraid to admit that now.

As he lays in his tent with Beth curled up against his side he is convinced that he is dreaming. Maybe he is. Maybe he has died and woken up in the woods behind the peach grove curled up in a tent with Beth Shay beside him.

He runs his fingers over the side of her arm and let's his hands linger there. Soaking up the warmth of her.

Beth makes a soft noise telling him that she is awake.

Daryl watches her roll on to her side and press her face into the space between his shoulder and neck.

"Mornin'," she drawls out. Daryl can't help but smile. Her voice is low and quiet from sleep. He moves his hand up from her arm to the back of her head. He runs his fingers through the loose curls of blonde that have settled there in her sleep.

"Mornin'," he drawls back as he runs his fingers through her hair.

Beth continues to nuzzle herself into the crook of his neck, her nose grazing his skin.

"What are we goin' to do?" She breathes out.

Daryl sighs. He doesn't know. Really. He has no idea what they are going to do. Glenn come back last night running full speed towards them, screaming about walkers in the barn.

Now they were going to have to do something about it. Shane was the one who came up with the idea to confront Hershel about the walkers. Maggie had come running over crying.

"They're just sick," she had said, "My dad thinks they're just sick."

Beth had held onto Daryl tightly and looked at him with sad wide eyes. Everyone screamed and fought over what they plan on doing. Shane had pulled out a gun and threatened to go take them all out right then.

Daryl and Rick simultaneously held him back.

After cuffing him to a tree they decided that they would deal with it in the morning. If anyone in the camp got any sleep then it was a miracle.

Daryl hadn't. He had stayed awake long after Beth had closed her eyes and succumbed to exhaustion. He allowed himself a few hours of silence to watch her. He allowed himself time to think about what a miracle it is to have her tucked under his arm.

Beth sits up in the tent and stretches, missing Daryl's face with her tiny fist by an inch. .

"We gotta get up," Beth says turning towards Daryl. He bites his lip and nods up to her.

"You go," he says, "I'll meet you outside."

Beth nods and pulls herself out of the tent. He listens to her shuffling as she grabs clothes and goes to her own tent to change.

Daryl falls back onto the makeshift bed and covers his eyes with his arm.

The farm had felt like a safe place. A place to stay. A place to live. But now it was all a far distant dream. There is no safe place. Not in this world.

Daryl pulls himself up and pulls on clothes before exiting the tent.

He can see where a small crowd is gathering near the group's camp. Beth's blonde hair is shining in the sun, illuminating her in soft light.

If this place isn't safe- then Beth isn't safe. Daryl grinds his teeth at the thought of it.

He begins his descent down to the group. Rick is standing amongst them with an anxious look in his eyes. A look that he has been sporting since Sophia went missing.

"We're gonna have to go to Hershel," Rick says addressing the members of the group, "it's not safe to have those walkers so close to us like that."

"But this is what Hershel believes," T-dog states, "he doesn't want them dead. He thinks they are just sick. He'll force us off the farm."

Daryl comes up the group and takes his place beside Beth. Rick looks at him and gives a small nod of acknowledgement.

"I have already been working on finding us a place to go if the farm didn't work out. We knew that this wasn't a permanent place. We will have to leave eventually," Rick states.

"And Sophia?"

Everyone goes painfully silent.

Daryl looks over to Carol. Her shoulders are pulled tight. A crease is forming between her eyes. As if she is in a blind rage.

"I'm not leaving my daughter," she says firmly.

"We are doing what we can to find her," Rick says calmly. The group watches in silence as Carol's hands clench into fists.

"We can't just leave. If we go to Hershel and he makes us leave then we will never find Sophia," Carol says.

"No offense but we all need to live," Andrea pipes up, "We have to do what's best for the group. I'm sorry, Carol. We need to tell Hershel."

Carol turns on her heel and stalks off towards the tents. Daryl can see the anger rolling off of her as she walks away.

"I say we take care of this now," Shane states. The group turns to look at him. Someone must have uncuffed him already. He's standing with a gun in his hand behind the group. His eyes are dark and clouded. Daryl knows that look. Blood lust. He had become familiar with it in the bars that Merle and him used to go to.

"We go to that barn and we take them out," Shane says pointing his gun towards the direction of the barn. Everyone tenses as Shane waves the gun around madly.

Rick steps forward, "We have to talk to Hershel first. We can't just go up there with guns blazing!"

Shane spits and then says, "Watch me."

Daryl makes a move to jump him, only Shane is lifting his gun and taking off in a sprint towards the barn.

"Rick you better get Hershel!" Daryl says loudly. He makes a move to follow after Shane as he says, "Rick go!"

Rick jumps and nods. He takes off in the direction of the farm.

Lori grabs Carl and pulls him away from the scene.

Daryl takes off running after Shane.

The man is a psycho. Daryl has known it for a while, but this was too much. Making decisions on his own, putting the lives of everyone in the group in danger. Shane comes to a halt outside of the barn. Daryl catches up and looks in shock as Shane lifts his gun to shoot the lock off.

"Shane don't!" Daryl yells.

But it's too late.

Shane's gun fires and the lock falls to the ground with a clang.

The barn doors fly open and walkers begin to pour out of the barn in a steady stream. Their slow ambling bodies surging forward towards the smell of flesh.

Daryl comes up behind Shane and grabs him by the shirt. With a swift tug Daryl pulls Shane back a few steps and away from the barn.

Daryl pulls his crossbow off of his back and takes aim.

A young male walker reaches out for him, Daryl shoots it straight though the head in one shot.

Daryl can hear gunshots being fired around him but he isn't paying attention to who is shooting. His eyes are trained on the dead creatures coming towards them.

"What are you doing!" He hears Hershel's distinct voice scream.

Daryl doesn't look back as he fires at another walker.

The flow of walkers seems to be never ending. When the last few finally fall to the ground Daryl relaxes. He lowers his crossbow and let's out a shaky breath.

A small hand comes into contact with his bicep and he turns to see Beth hovering beside him. In her other hand she is clutching a gun.

She looks into his eyes and nods wordlessly. A sign that she's okay, that they are all okay.

Daryl lets out another breath of relief.

A soft groan pulls Daryl away from Beth's eyes. He looks over to the barn and raises his crossbow as another ambling figure emerges.

A loud scream from behind them tells Daryl exactly who it is.

The small blonde girl shuffles out of the barn. Her eyes an eerie shade of blue, her jaw snapping and her lips curling as she snarls at the group.

Carol comes running forward, Before anyone can catch her, she is running straight to Sophia. The child opens her mouth and grabs for her mother.

Beth is the first to move. She jumps forward over the bodies of walkers and grabs Carol by the back of the shirt, just as Daryl had done to Shane earlier.

She pulls Carol back as quickly as she can. Sophia's teeth just missing the edge of Carol's neck.

"My baby!" Carol is screaming, "No, my baby!"

Beth continues to restrain the wailing woman. Carol screams and writhes against Her, throwing her arms up and attempting to release herself from Beth's hold.

Beth turns her head over her shoulder and looks to Daryl. Their eyes lock and for a moment the situation is forgotten. A silent conversation happens there.

'Do it.' It's a plea. Beth can't watch Carol in agony any longer. She can't watch this kind woman struggle to join her daughter in death. Daryl nods at his girl before raising the crossbow and firing one single round.

The bolt lands between Sophia's eyes. The girl collapses into a pile of rotten flesh amongst the rest of the dead. Carols screaming has reached an all new octave.

Beth finally releases the woman and she goes surging forward.

Daryl drops his crossbow to the ground and reaches out. Beth is there. She's alive.

In one step the space between them is closed. Beth tucks herself against Daryl's chest. He can feel her heart pounding in beat with his. So alive.

Daryl tightly holds her as Rick steps forward to reach for Carol.

"We're okay," Beth says against his chests, her voice muffled by fabric, "it's okay."

He can tell himself that it is. But he knows that it's not okay.

XXXxXXxxXXxXXxXxx

Daryl doesn't know why he bothers to visit Merle anymore. It's like going to see that weird uncle that no one really likes. Only that uncle is your brother, he's in jail, and he is happy to be there.

Daryl chews on his thumb as he waits for Merle to be brought out to the meeting place.

His brother is an idiot, but so is he for being here.

He knows what his dad would say. Hell, his dad would have killed Merle if he knew half of the shit that his oldest son does. Will has always been on Merle's back. He always tried to make his son understand, to start over, to be better. But Merle would never listen. He'll never change.

The door to the room opens and Daryl looks up to see Merle being pulled in by a correctional officer

"Hey, baby brother!" Merle says happily. The officer discards him into the Chair across from Daryl.

"10 minutes," the officer spits out before turning and leaving.

"Well, little brother why you comin to see ole' Merle?"

Daryl shrugs. He doesn't really Know why he came to see Merle. He had been upset. Will was too unwell to listen to Daryl's problems. He knows that his dad would listen, but he wanted the man to remain comfortable for the last few months of his life.

"You lyin'! It that piece of ass next door?" Merle leans forward, " you miss her yet, brother?"

Hell yeah he misses her. But Beth isn't the same anymore and neither is he. She was forced to grow up, grow up too quickly. She changed. Became cold. She loved him too much and at the same time not enough. Not enough to stay.

Daryl dismisses the mention of Beth.

"Dad ain't doin' so well," he says gently. He eyes his brother for a moment to see if there is a reaction.

There is. It's small but Merle's eyes flicker in sadness. But just as quickly as it was there it's gone.

"Well, when the old man is gone we can finally get the fuck out of that redneck town, huh little brother?" Merle says happily.

Daryl doesn't really know what to say to that. He loves his dad. Will has always been good to him. Merle doesn't see it. Hell, merle doesn't see much of Anything. He's consumed with his own pain.

Merle tilts his head and shoots Daryl a questioning look, "what? you don't wanna leave that shit hole? You gonna leave your brother behind?"

Daryl bites the inside of his lip almost enough to break skin.

"Nah, Merle," he states, "we do it together."

"Damn right! We're all the others got soon 'Nough. You're little girlfriend is no more and our Dad is bout to kick the bucket. We got the whole world ahead of us, brother. We will do what we damn well please."

It should sound like something good. Something to excite Daryl. The idea of being free. Doing whatever you want to do. It would excite any 18 year old. But it doesn't do it for him. It scares him really. He's afraid. But as he looks into his big brothers eyes he knows he can't feel that way. Beth Anne had to grow up, and now it's Daryl's turn.

"Fine by me," he says darkly, "we can do whatever you want, Merle."

His brothers face splits into a large grin.

"That's more like it!" He says loudly. He claps his hand on Daryl's shoulder and laughs.

"We're gonna have a good ole time, baby brother!"

Daryls eyes cloud over and he falls back into nothingness. A good time.

Beth.

Dad.

'A good time'

Beth.

Dad.

'A good time'

He wants to scream. The thoughts haunt him as Merle is taken back from the meeting room and brought to his cell.

He doesn't stop thinking about it as he drives home from the hospital- back to their shitty house in the shitty campground.

He doesn't stop thinking about it as time passes.

He doesn't stop thinking about it as he walks into his dad's room and finds him lying there lifeless when he's 21.

No, Daryl never stops thinking about it.

xXxXXXXXxXXxXxxXxXx

Carl is staring into nothingness when Beth approaches him. Rick, Daryl, Shane, and the others were up at the farm talking to Hershel. Beth decided that she best check on the young grimes, who hasn't spoken a word since the barn incident.

Beth hovers over Carl as she watches him.

Nothing in this world is easy. Being young and witnessing someone die isn't easy. Not even when death is such a real tangible thing.

"You okay?" Beth asks gently.

Carl doesn't respond. He doesn't even look up as Beth sets herself down beside him.

"It's okay Carl," she says gently, "to be upset. It's okay."

Carl doesn't speak. He continues to stare into the distance. Grassy fields of the farm spreading out before them.

Beth hesitated as she lifts her arm to wrap around Carl's small shoulders. He was rigid and stiff. His eyes never met hers as beth rubbed soothing circles into his arm.

"I'm sorry, carl. I'm sorry, sweetie," she whispers. There isn't much else she can say. She can't bring Sophia back, she can't make the pain hurt any less.

The sit in silence for a long moment.

"It's my fault," Carl's soft voice says.

Beth looks down to him and raises her eyebrows.

"It isn't," she reassures, "it can't be your fault Carl."

Carl shakes his head and stops her from saying anything else.

"We were playing hide and seek. Sophia didn't want to play in the woods. She didn't think it was safe. But I told her that it would be fine. It would be more fun in the woods," Carl's voice wavers as he speaks. Her voice cracks at the end and he lowers his head.

"It's my fault. If I hadn't suggested..."

Beth cuts him off, "Don't you think that! It's not your fault, Carl. You didn't know. You didn't know it would happen. It's not your fault."

Carl melts into her arms. He begins to shake from the tears. "I'm sorry," he says in a breath against Beth's chest, "I'm so sorry."

Beth simply runs her hand over Carl's hair soothingly.

He's just a kid.

He's just a damn kid.

xXxxxXxXxxXxxXxx

When it's dark outside and the group has finished talking to Hershel, Beth finally leaves Carl's side. But only when his mother comes to take her place.

Beth looks over to Daryl, who is standing off from the group with Rick at his side. They are speaking in hushed voices, both of them leaning their heads closer to the other so that there is no way that their voices will carry over to the group.

It's probably not a good thing. That's all Beth can think. They're probably going to have to leave the farm, never looking back.

It's not leaving into the unknown that scares Beth so much as leaving these people behind.

Hershel, Maggie. Her family.

She looks to Daryl. He catches her eye and nods in her direction giving her a knowing look of 'we will talk later'. Beth simply nods back and turns her head away.

Isn't Daryl her family?

She doesn't really need the Greenes. They have never been a family to her before. She hadn't even met them until just recently. And it isn't like they know that she is their long lost daughter/sister.

Beth takes a deep breath and releases it sadly. Of course they didn't know. They had no idea that Beth was part of their family. Maggie had no inclination because they look nothing alike, But something tells her that maybe Hershel has some idea. He seems to let his eyes linger on her face for several seconds.

Not in the way that makes Beth uncomfortable. Not in the way that a gross old man would look at a young girl. But in a way that is almost paternal. As if he is looking at her and seeing the blonde bundle that he handed over to Missy the day she was born twenty two years ago.

Beth looks over to the farmhouse. The front porch is light up and glowing in the night sky. Maybe she should tell them. If she does they wouldn't send them away? Maybe if she sucked it up and told Hershel that he is her father, maybe… maybe they would allow her group to stay a bit longer.

She felt herself jump at her own thoughts. They were her group now. This… this is her family now.

Beth looks over the faces of the people around her. Andrea is sitting by the fire with Dale beside her. Glenn is across from them sporting a my-life-sucks face, Lori is holding Carl close to her near their tent, T-dog is flicking grass at Carl and causing the small boy to crack a rare smile, and Shane- well Shane isn't part of the group anymore in her mind, he is standing off in the shade of the forest by himself. Beth doesn't see Carol, she just assumes that the woman is mourning the loss of her daughter in her tent by herself.

Andrea looks up to Beth and flashes a bright smile to her before returning to her conversation with Dale. Beth sends her own smile, much smaller and less bright, but it's there. These are here people. She is just going to have to remind herself sometimes.

"Beth come sit," T-dog calls from the fire, "You don't gotta stand there like a stranger."

Beth looks across the faces as they all look up to her.

"Yeah," Andrea says motioning to the empty spot beside her, "Come sit!"

Hesitantly Beth crosses the space between where she is standing outside of their tent and moves to go sit with Andrea. The blond woman smiles and wraps her arm around Beth's shoulder when she sits down.

"We can sing campfire songs while we're at it," T-dog says sarcastically, earning a small laugh from the group. Glenn even looks up and cracks a smile.

"Y'all know The Parting Glass?" Beth asks looking around the camp.

Lori turns her attention to Beth and smiles, "I love that song."

Beth smiles and takes a deep breath before she begins her song.

She looks up as she is singing and sees Daryl and Rick making their way over to the group.

Rick smiles at Beth sweetly before going to take a seat beside his wife and son.

Daryl doesn't enter into the circle. He stands outside of it, lingering close to the edge of their small camp. Beth doesn't look away from him as she sings.

Lori's voice raises and soon she is singing with Beth. The two women smile at each other before finishing the song.

"That was beautiful," Dale says gently from beside Andrea. Beth smiles over to him warmly.

"Where did you learn to sing like that?" Rick asks.

Beth doesn't get a chance to answer before Daryl is speaking up for her.

"She used to sing all the time when we was kids," Daryl says, "Sang her heart out in the middle of the woods and scared the hell out of the deer."

"Hey!" Beth says with a smile, "I think those deer were attracted to my singin'!"

Daryl snorts, "Nah, never caught nothin' when you were taggin' along."

The group looks between the two. Rick gives a knowing smile and then ruffles Carl's hair beside him.

"Growin' up in south Georgia ain't easy," Daryl says with a sly smirk, "You made it even harder."

Beth puffs her cheeks out at him in response.

"Survivn' the apocalypse ain't easy either," Comes Glenn's half dead voice.

Beth looks to Glenn sadly.

"I think we are doin' alright," Rick chimes in, "Sophia didn't deserve to die, no. But we are doin' okay. Especially now since Hershel agreed to let us stay on the farm."

Beth gasps loudly and then covers her mouth in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry.. it's just… that's amazin'!" She says smiling widely to Rick. He nods back to her and then pulls his son in for a hug.

"Safest place to be right now," Daryl chimes with a shrug, "If we keep the woods around here clear than we can keep this place fortified for a while. No need to pack up and run."

Andrea places her hand on Beth's shoulder and gives her a loving squeeze.

"Safe," She says in a voice that is almost disbelief.

For now, is the first thought that comes to Beth's head. She pushes the thought away as quickly as it appears in her mind.

She enjoys the quiet night in the company of the group. The sound of bugs humming in the Georgia air.

Later that night when Beth is laying in the tent with Daryl she curls onto her side and looks at him.

"Do you think we can really stay here? I mean- really?" She asks in disbelief. If there was anyone who saw things realistically then it would be Daryl.

He runs his fingers over her cheek and says, "Second it isn't we are out of here. 'Member what I said?"

Beth nods recalling the night that Daryl had told her that if anything was going to happen that the two of them would take off, leaving the farm behind them.

"But," Daryl says with before letting out a heavy sigh, "I guess we are safe. As safe as we can get."

Beth's face breaks into a smile and she leans forward and places a quick kiss against his cheek.

"Good enough for me," She states before placing her head on his chest and closing her eyes.

Sort of safe is much better than not being safe at all.

* * *

**Hey! New chapter! Sorry for the wait! Excuse the errors my beta didn't get a chance to edit this chapter for me! **

**Let me know what you think!**


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